DTX STAFF!
We at DTX look to hire professional and experienced coaches in the education and athletic fields. We are proud of our staff and want all staff members to be active in the training and education of our players.
David Taylor: Owner/Head Coach
I have developed a basketball philosophy over my 40+ years of basketball experience as a player, coach, and administrator.
My overall philosophy with basketball is to teach life lessons through the sport! My mentor, John Wooden, taught me many life and basketball lessons through my numerous encounters with him and I adopted a majority of my basketball philosophies from him.
Basketball is a sport that requires fundamentals! I believe in teaching all the fundamentals of the sport, both offensively and defensively. I want to change people's lives positively to prepare them for life both on and off the court.
I want a program that develops a player’s skills to succeed in the team format! The program should run the same offensive sets, the same offenses, and the same out-of-bounds plays. On defense, we only play man-to-man! We teach the fundamentals of man to man. This is what we do at all levels! A uniform system for the kids to learn over the years gives them a solid foundation. We will not have these kids learn one system and then start over the following season with a new coach. We put all of our sets on the DTX website so kids can review them! We provide video analysis to the kids in the form of game film reviews that we send to the kids via email. Again, this helps to assist in the kids’ basketball IQ and improve their performance.
Our goal is to develop our players rather than win at the cost of development. In the 10-15-year-old divisions, we are about development. We prefer losing to better teams rather than beating bad teams. We believe in developing the players’ basketball IQ, not just their physical skills.
My basketball philosophy is to prepare the kids for success on the court as future basketball players and off the court as successful community members. We want to build their confidence and foster their love of the game. My ultimate goal is to assist in the players’ development so much that those players who put out the necessary effort achieve enough basketball success that they receive attention from Universities in the form of potential athletic scholarships.
We will encompass all facets of life. Our motto is D.I.C.E., which stands for:
DISCIPLINE
INTENSITY
COMPOSURE
EXECUTION
I am here to assist in the form of mentorship for these young student-athletes. It is a 24/7 job that I take seriously and professionally. I hope to change lives, one day at a time.
Noel Roman: Recruiting Coordinator
Coach Roman began his basketball coaching career in 2009 while serving as a Youth Basketball Coach for boys and girls as part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), a program of which he remains a part. During his tenure, he has refined his coaching style by attending coaching workshops and seeking mentorship, as well as enhanced his experience acting as Site Director for basketball tournaments and general operations. He is currently in his second year as Assistant Varsity Coach and Head Junior Varsity and Freshman Coach at University High School of Science & Engineering Magnet (Hartford, Connecticut) and serves as Head Administrator and Coach for DTX.
Coach Roman describes his coaching philosophy as one having a focus on fundamental skill development and player character-building. He encourages players to be a student of the game in order to learn all of the facets that comprise a good player, including defense, offense, and being a good 6th man. With this focus, he believes individuals, teams, and parents will see the success they desire for the player both on and off the court.
Steve Ray: Coach/Skills Development Trainer
Steve Ray comes to us with a great deal of knowledge and experience coaching and playing basketball. His love of the game and enthusiasm is unparalleled!
Steve played basketball at the University of Bridgeport as a Point Guard from 1986-1990. He was inducted into the New England Hall of Fame and the University of Bridgeport Hall of Fame. He broke NCAA records for assists made in a season and in single games.
He was a college-level assistant at the University of Bridgeport for two years. He has been coaching high school basketball for twelve years. He was an Assistant Coach at Notre Dame-Fairfield High School and Head Coach at Kolbe Cathedral. He is currently an Assistant Coach at Joel Barlow High School.
Steve believes in development over winning and is well-known around the community for his ability to develop players’ individual skill sets.
Steve has been a teacher for twenty-four years and is currently teaching at James J. Curiale in Bridgeport, CT. He incorporates his knowledge of the game and teaching background into all of his coaching and mentoring.
Jonathan Brown: Coach
Born in Bridgeport, Jonathan attended Central Magnet High School in Bridgeport. He later attended the University of Connecticut majoring in Mathematics. Jonathan received a dual bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Education. While attending the University of Connecticut, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. He is currently teaching middle school mathematics at James J. Curiale School located in Bridgeport, CT. Jonathan is also coaching the Curiale Bulldogs, basketball team.
Jonathan takes a personal approach to his teaching and coaching method, our youth can tell when a teacher or coach genuinely cares for them. Life lessons can be taught both in and out of the classroom. He has a theory that teaching doesn’t end once your students exit the classroom. It’s how they retain and apply what you taught them later in life to truly show how much they learned while in your presence. The same idea applies on the basketball court, how you connect with your players and your passion for their well-being will determine how they perform on and off the court. Jonathan comes to this organization with an open mind ready to learn and willing to help these young eager players grow to be the best versions of themselves.
Yaaser Abdulgalil: Coach
A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Yaaser holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Yaaser was raised in Bridgeport, CT, and played basketball for Central High School. While attending UConn, Yaaser was a Practice Player for the UConn Men’s Basketball team during his sophomore and junior years. During his senior year, he practiced with the legendary coach Geno Auriemma and the National Championship UConn’s Women’s basketball team. His role was that of a practice player/scout team. Now Yaaser coaches the Bridgeport Central Freshman basketball team as well as the Assistant Coach for the Varsity. As a former player, Yaaser will apply the things he has learned from championship coaches like work ethic and the love for the game to the DTX kids!!
Ricky Merizalde: Coach
Ricky grew up in Stamford, CT where he played basketball and graduated from Trinity Catholic High School. He went on to attend Quinnipiac University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. He holds his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University and is currently an Adult Probation Officer with the State of Connecticut with over 14 years of experience.
Ricky started his coaching career with boys AAU programs based out of Stamford, CT. He is currently the girl’s basketball coach at Jockey Hollow Middle School (Grades 6, 7, 8) in Monroe and is also the head coach of the Red Storm girls’ 8th grade A division travel team. Additionally, he is a Varsity level basketball official for High School basketball.
Ricky believes in motivating young athletes while helping them to gain the knowledge of basketball IQ required to play at a high level in today’s game. He does this by bringing his coaching experience, playing experience, and knowledge of the rules and strategy of the game to assist athletes in becoming elite-level players.
Jeremy Pringle: Workout Specialist
I hope that you and your family are well and staying healthy. My name is Jeremy Pringle, Assistant coach at The University of St. Josephs and director of Jeremy Pringle Player Development. My focus is on shooting and creating skilled shooters. Through my workouts, there is an emphasis on proper technique in footwork and form shooting, while working on creating space off a pass and off the dribble. I use the same strategies with players of all ages and ability levels, from elementary to professional, tailoring the drills and workouts to the players’ individual skill levels. I have had the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by NBA shooting coach, Dave Hopla, for over 15 years. Through his guidance, I have been able to work with players in various stages of their careers, which has allowed me to build my craft and gain tremendous experience.
I have several options for workouts available. Please note that due to the high demand of returning and new players I have met throughout the winter, spaces are limited.
Workout Packages:
*** 1:1 workouts- 8 or more sessions
*** Small groups (3-5 Players)- 8 or more sessions
*** Team workouts- details upon request
Gym availability is very limited, therefore, I have been and will continue to conduct workouts outside. I primarily travel to your home and work with your child on their personal basket. This allows them the opportunity to learn the skills in the comfort of their own space and easily practice in between workouts. If you do not have access to a basket, I do have limited availability on an outdoor hoop in my area, so please let me know at the time of registration.
I am excited to work with your athletes and build their skill sets. As we embark on this process it is important that your child is committed to putting in the work outside of our workout time as well. I will give them the foundation and they will have to put in the work to become the best player they can be.
Please reach out to me if you are interested. Let me know about your player (age, experience, goals, etc.,), where you are located, and what sort of package you are interested in. The link below will tell you a little about what they say about me.
Email: jpringle8423@gmail.com
John Cappello: Coach
John grew up in Weston, Connecticut, and graduated from Weston High School in 1987. During his basketball career at Weston, he was a four-year varsity player and two-year varsity starter. In his junior year, he was the starting point guard on a team that went 26-2 and advanced to the Class M state championship narrowly losing to perennial power St. Joseph’s of Trumbull. His senior year he was the only returning starter and averaged 18 points and 6 assists per game while leading his team back to the state tournament, being selected to the all-league and honorable mention all-area teams.
He attended college at Ithaca College in central New York. At Ithaca, he played one year of basketball and then rowed for two years on the varsity lightweight crew team. He graduated from Ithaca with a degree in history and a certification to teach social studies in grades 7-12
After graduating from Ithaca he went to the University of Bridgeport and received a Master’s degree in education. John also started his coaching career that year coaching the Masuk JV girls’ team to a 16-0 record. Next, he moved on to coach for three years at Joel Barlow High School as the head JV coach and varsity assistant.
His full-time teaching career started in 1996 when he was hired to teach at Madison Middle School in Trumbull. He has been teaching at Madison for 22 years and in 2010 was selected as “teacher of the year” by his colleagues at Madison. He has been coaching in Trumbull for most of his teaching career as the boy’s Freshman coach and is currently the boy’s coach at Madison Middle School.
He has also coached AAU teams at many levels for the Northeast Lightning and Premier Hoops Development. Finally, he has run numerous skill clinics and worked at numerous basketball camps over the past 20 years.
Kris Thiesen: NCAA Compliance/International Recruiting
Coach Thiesen is currently the head varsity basketball coach at St Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan, and the director of the Tokyo Samurai basketball club. He has been coaching abroad since 2007 and coached players who have gone on to play NCAA Division III through Division I and all the way up to the professional levels.
Coach Thiesen earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Biola University in Psychology and his Master's Degree in Counseling from California State University Fullerton. He has worked as a middle school counselor for the past 7 years and prior to that a college guidance counselor for 5 years.
Coach Thiesen uses his extensive knowledge of colleges and guidance, along with his broad coaching network and his vast experience in the collegiate recruiting process to aid players to find the best fit for their academics and basketball. Being abroad has a number of challenges for recruits and Coach Thiesen’s understanding of NCAA rules and compliance continues to help recruits maintain proper eligibility and avoid any pitfalls in the process.
Cory Heitz: Prep School Consultant
Coach Cory Heitz first placed a player into a prep school in 2008. Since then he has helped multiple players in reaching their dream of playing college basketball in the United States. Coach Cory Heitz was last an Assistant Coach for the Varsity Boy’s Basketball Team at Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, Kentucky. He joined his alma mater in a specialty role as the program’s college recruiting liaison. Coach Heitz worked with the Knights’ coaching staff, players, and their families in developing a strategy to play basketball at the next level. Coach Heitz also helped run the 2015 and 2016 Nike Top 48 High School All-Star camps in Taiwan.
Coach Heitz coached for two seasons at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC under 2016 Gatorade National Coach of the Year, Steve Turner. Coach Heitz’s role with the team included post-player development, scouting, leadership training, and recruiting liaison. Coach spent three years as a Boy’s Varsity Assistant Coach at Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. With the Eagles, Heitz was responsible for post-player development, and leadership training, and was the team’s recruiting liaison.
In 2009 Coach Heitz was asked to work at John Calipari’s Basketball School at the University of Kentucky. There he worked with former NBA players Rod Strickland, Scott Padgett, and Tony Delk and was in charge of the entire high school age group. During the summer of 2010, he was asked back to the John Calipari Basketball School where he was again a commissioner of a league.
Prior to Heitz’s coaching career, he was on the team under Reggie Minton at the United States Air Force Academy from 1996 to 1999. Heitz played and was team captain during his post-grad year for the Academy’s Prep School team.
Coach Heitz comes from a basketball pedigree. His father Michael played at West Virginia University and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns before playing professionally in Switzerland. His uncle Jim Heitz played at the University of Oklahoma. His other uncle Tom played for the University of Kentucky on their 1984 Final Four team and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers. His first cousin Renee Hood (Miller) played at both Morehead State and the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Heitz’s first cousin, Brad Miller played at Purdue University and for 13 years in the NBA, including being named a two-time NBA All-Star.
Heitz has appeared on ESPN.com and Yahoo.
Brian Elmo: MPT, ATC, CSCS Total Body Physical Therapy Consultant
A graduate of Old Dominion University, Mr. Elmo holds a Master’s Degree in physical therapy and a Bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from the University of Connecticut. In addition to being a physical therapist, Mr. Elmo is also a certified athletic trainer and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has extensive knowledge and experience in the treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of sports and orthopedic injuries. Mr. Elmo’s past experience includes interning for the New England Patriots.
Total Body Physical Therapy Website
Jeff Houde: Board of Directors
Coach Houde has been the Varsity Coach at The Master’s School since 2016. Prior to accepting the position at Master’s, Coach Houde was the top Assistant at Becker College in Worcester MA for 10 years. He has worked with Coach Calipari from the University of Kentucky, Kevin Ollie (University of Connecticut) Bruiser Flint (Drexel University), and several other top national programs. While at Becker College Coach Houde was part of an ECAC Championship, 2 NECC Championships, 2 postseason NCAA tournament births as well as an NCAA record 36 consecutive conference wins. He was recruiting coordinator for all students/athletes within the basketball program and had a graduation rate of over 95%. Coach Houde resides in Windsor Locks with his wife Brenda and their 2 children, Donovan and Matthew. He received his B.S. in Physical Education from Eastern Connecticut State University.