Gordon Stubblefield is getting an opportunity not many basketball coaches will ever get to do on the collegiate level — build a program from the ground up.
Stubblefield has been at Park University since 2005-2006 as an assistant basketball coach but was recently named the new head coach of the school’s newest location — Park-Gilbert in Gilbert, Ariz.
The newly-dubbed Buccaneers won’t make their debut until the 2019-2020 season at the NAIA level, but Stubblefield is working to get ready for the inaugural season.
“I’m excited,” he said from his office in Arizona. “I’m able to build a program from the ground up. I’m pleased Steve (Wilson, Park-Gilbert A) chose me. I’m really happy he thought I could be his guy to come out here and start the program. It means a lot to me. I best not let him down.”
He and his wife, Cassandra, have been married 11 years and the two recently packed up a car — with two dogs in tow — and a UHaul and made the drive from their former residences in Kansas City to Gilbert.
His first impressions of Arizona?
“It’s hot,” he said. “But they said it will be cooler in September and October.”
Stubblefield has been coaching for nearly 20 years, dating back to working with the KC Nets, now KC Run GMC, in the AAU circuits starting in 2001 with his cousin, LJ Goolsby. Stubblefield’s brother-in-law, Benny Moore, also played a role in him landing into coaching. Moore, who played at Marquette and later professionally overseas, was the former head coach at Kansas City Center.
Stubblefield played college basketball at both Dodge City (Kan.) Community College and Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he played for current Park coach Jason Kline.
Stubblefield was working as the program director at the YMCA of Greater Kansas City when Kline got to town and offered him a spot on the staff.
“Coaching with my cousin, I felt like it was something I would love to do and it really came together,” Stubblefield said. “Coach (Kline) reached out to me to come help him and after that, I learned a lot from him. All of the knowledge I could basically absorb, all of it came at Park, and here we are getting an opportunity to make the most of it.”
Stubblefield got his first taste of being a head coach starting in the 2016-17 season when he ran the Pirates’ developmental team. He got on the job training and learning game management, how to use timeouts and how to use substitutes.
“Gordon was a natural fit for us, and it was an easy decision, because we’ve seen the value he adds to Coach Kline’s program in Parkville, both on the court and in recruiting circles,” said Steve Wilson, who was named director of athletics for the Buccaneers earlier this year. “Gordon has learned under Jason Kline, a guy who I have an incredible amount of respect for as a coach, and even more as a person, and (Stubblefield) was only missing was his chance to be a head coach. He’s ready to hit the ground running, and I’m excited to see the men’s basketball program he plans to build in the East Valley.”
Currently Stubblefield is the only coach on the staff as the search for an assistant coach won’t be finalized until early next year. In the meantime, he is going around to high schools and junior college programs — there are 14 — around Phoenix and its suburbs to introduce himself and what Park-Gilbert will be about. He will have plenty of chances to watch games and look at the underclassmen as the first potential players are juniors this season.
While he has no players, he knows what he wants on his roster.
“I’m looking for physical players, mentally tough players that knows basketball,” the Buccaneers’ coach said. “Competition is important but these guys getting a degree is the most important thing. I will definitely tell them chances of playing professional ball is slim or none. They have to give it their all for Park University-Gilbert Buccaneers and whatever happens, happens. Hopefully go out and do some good in the community.”
Stubblefield knows the he wants his squad to be competitive from the start. Just because they are new he doesn’t want to be an easy win for any team on the schedule.
“I’m definitely wanting to instill in our players that program will want to be on the radar earlier than later,” he said.
The goal is to come to Kansas City for the NAIA National Championships within the first five years the program is around.
But first things first would be finding out who will provide the jerseys and shoes. Then finding a home court to play basketball and then finding a court to practice at if the ‘home’ court isn’t available. Essentially, a lot of smaller steps for a program just getting going.
Stubblefield knows what he wants, now he will have to wait a year to see the fruits of his recruiting efforts at the new school.
“I will say, as far as the school as a whole, the word is starting to get out there,” Stubblefield said.