Coaches

Michael Duncan
Head Coach, Men’s Basketball

Michael Duncan has served as head coach of the Tri-C® men’s basketball team since 2014. The team’s winning record of 97-29 over the past four years has resulted in three consecutive NJCAA DII Region 12 District 11 Championship appearances; one NJCAA DII Region 12 District 11 championship; and one NJCAA DII National Tournament appearance, at which the team took 7th place.

Under Duncan’s leadership, his teams have twice finished their regular season ranked in the national top five, including a No. 1 ranking to end the 2017-2018 regular season. Duncan has coached 10 All-Conference performers, four NJCAA DII Region 12 District 11 First Team players and one consensus NABC NJCAA DII First Team All-American. He has been named OCCAC Coach of the Year each of the past two years (2017 and 2018) and Region 12 District 11 Coach of the Year in 2018.

Duncan is a former assistant coach and starting point guard for the 2004 National Championship Tri-C men’s basketball team. He was a three-year letterman in basketball at Cleveland Central Catholic High School and went on to play at Livingstone College in North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He also holds a teaching certificate in special education from Notre Dame College.     

Thomas Coleman
Assistant Coach, Men’s Basketball

Thomas Coleman has served as assistant coach of the Tri-C men’s basketball team since 2014-2015.  His efforts have helped the Challengers rack up an impressive 97-29 record over a four-year span. These teams produced many All-Conference performers and All-Region players, as well as one consensus NABC NJCAA DII First Team All-American.

Prior to joining Tri-C, Coleman coached at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College as well as Columbus State Community College. He helped lead both institutions to NJCAA DII National Runner-Up finishes.   

Coleman holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Binghamton State University, a master’s in education from Notre Dame College and a master’s in educational administration from Ashland University. A four-year letterman on the men’s basketball team at Binghamton, he received the Most Improved Player Award and ECAC All-Freshman Team honors. He is currently ranked fourth all-time on the school’s field goal shooting percentage list.   

Assistant Coach
Jermaine Gay, Men’s Basketball

Jermaine Gay joined the Tri-C Men's Basketball team as an assistant coach in the 2015-2016 season. Coach Gay is responsible for player development, offensive play calling and recruiting.

In addition to his coaching duties at Tri-C, Gay supervises Youth Basketball Programs for the National Basketball Academy, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Amateur Athletic Union. He continues to also run NBA Summer Camps featuring well-known players such as Terry Rozier, Al Jefferson, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, Kay Felder and Iman Shumpert.

Gay started his coaching career at Cleveland Central Catholic High School, where he helped lead the team to a 22-5 record and the OHSAA Boys’ Basketball State Tournament’s Final Four.