Hoyt fills QU men’s basketball coaching staff with familiar names and faces

QUINCY — Brad Hoyt believed there was one vital element necessary when constructing his coaching staff.

Familiarity.

The first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach needed at least one coach familiar with the community, one familiar with the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA Division II level, and one familiar with himself and his coaching style.

He found all three and a little more.

Hoyt’s new staff began work Monday with former Quincy Notre Dame all-stater Justin Bottorff being joined by former All-GLVC forward Brendon Gooch as full-time assistant coaches, former John Wood Community College player Kameron Whiteman serving as a graduate assistant and veteran coaches Mike Kindhart and Bob Sheffield serving as volunteer assistants.

“Not only is this the university for the city of Quincy, but this is the school for the surrounding area,” Hoyt said. “These coaches give us a connection to all of the area with an understanding of what it takes to succeed and represent our community in the right manner.”

Bottorff spent last season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III Concordia College in Chicago after a successful high school and collegiate playing career.

​​He averaged 17.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a senior at QND in 2017, earning second-team all-state honors. He signed with QU, but transferred to JWCC after a redshirt season. He helped the Trail Blazers finish sixth at the NJCAA Division II national tournament in 2019 before finishing his playing career at Augustana College, an NCAA Division III school in Rock Island, Ill.

“Justin understands this area as well as anybody,” Hoyt said. “We are really fortunate to be able to get him back into town and help a young coach take the next step in his career.”

Gooch spent last season as an assistant coach at Illinois-Springfield, helping the Prairie Stars go 18-13 overall and 11-9 in the GLVC, which included a season sweep of QU. A graduate of Belleville Althoff, Gooch began his college career at Southern Illinois University before transferring to McKendree.

In two seasons with the Bearcats, Gooch played in 37 games and earned second-team All-GLVC honors during the 2020-21 season. As a senior in 2021-22, Gooch helped the Bearcats beat the Hawks twice, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a regular-season victory and going for eight points and five rebounds in a 37-point victory in the GLVC Tournament.

“With the newness of the rest of us, we knew we had to find somebody who understood this league,” Hoyt said. “Brendon has played in it, coached in it and had success in it, so he knows what it looks like and feels like. He’s a great human being.”

Whiteman played in 24 games as a freshman at John Wood during the 2020-21 season, averaging 5.3 points and shooting 37.3 percent from 3-point range. During the 2021-22 season, he played in 29 games but an issue with his ankle likely meant playing beyond the junior college level would be a chore.

He went on to the University of Miami, where he served as a student manager for the Hurricanes and played a role in their Final Four appearance in 2023.

“He is going to be a star in this business,” Hoyt said. “He’s going to be really, really good. He understands me and he wants to be back here in Quincy. So that familiarity is critical, and Kam helps check that box.”

Kindhart and Sheffield bring a tremendous amount of coaching experience to the table at both the high school and college levels.

Kindhart, a sergeant with the Illinois State Police, served as the head boys basketball coach at Payson Seymour for nine seasons from 1990-1999, compiling a .582 winning percentage with eight consecutive winning seasons. He then served as an assistant at QU for 20 seasons and returns to the Hawks’ sideline after a six-year hiatus.

Sheffield, a guidance counselor at Quincy Notre Dame, spent the past nine seasons as one of Hoyt’s assistant coaches at JWCC. He also spent 16 seasons as an assistant boys basketball coach at QND, two seasons as head coach and another eight seasons helping the QND girls basketball program.

“Bob and Mike are two guys that I trust and that I consider friends,” Hoyt said. “They are well respected in coaching circles. Both are very committed to this community.”