West Point - Army head men’s basketball coach Zach Spiker completed his coaching staff with the addition of Omar Mance as an assistant coach. Mance, a former standout player at Rice University, has been involved with basketball since his graduation in 2003.
Mance is the Black Knight’s third new addition to the staff for the 2010-11 campaign. Most recently, he served as the head varsity coach for the North Shore Country Day (Ill.) boys’ team. In his two seasons, Mance led the squad to its two best finishes in school history, winning 16 games and making the regional championship game in 2009.
"The history and prestige of West Point speaks for itself," Mance said. "It was an honor to be considered for the position, and to have the chance to coach at this institution is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really believe in Coach Spiker and his vision, and believe that Army basketball is on the brink of greatness. I am looking forward to providing insight from my experiences coaching and playing at an institution like Rice that also values excellence in athletics, academics and character. My wife and I are thrilled and excited to be part of the West Point family."
Prior to his work at Country Day, Mance was on the staff of his alma mater. He served as Director of Basketball Operations from January-May 2007 before being named an assistant coach for the 2007-08 season. Mance served as the Owls’ recruiting coordinator and helped land the first Houston public school recruit to attend Rice in 40 years. In addition to his coaching and recruiting duties, Mance oversaw the Owls’ academic progress. Under his watch, Rice posted a 98 percent graduation rate, the best mark in the country.
"Omar is a tremendous addition to our staff," Spiker said. "He truly understands and appreciates the Academy’s mission of producing leaders of character. His experiences as a student-athlete and as a coach mesh perfectly with our goal of recruiting, coaching and mentoring cadet-athletes that will excel on the court, in the classroom and in the Corps of Cadets."
Before entering the collegiate ranks, Mance was the athletic director at Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Ill., from 2005-07. He oversaw every aspect of each of the school’s programs and also served as the head coach of the eighth grade boys’ basketball squad. While working at the school, Mance also helped found the Robison-Mance Group, a company that worked with leagues, camps and teams to provide mentoring services to more than 900 youth in the Chicago area.
In 2006 and 2008, Mance worked with Athletes in Action in Nairobi, Kenya. He toured schools, academies and orphanages while helping coach college and club teams. The Africa trip was just one of his international experiences. Mance played on professional tours in Europe, Asia and Canada during the summers of 2004 and 2005. He was named the tournament MVP of the International Cup in Moscow in 2005.
Mance started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Martin Luther King High School in Atlanta, Ga. He helped the squad to a 5-A state runner-up finish in 2004. Mance worked for his father, Eric, an Albany (Ga.) Hall of Fame Inductee who has won more than 400 games in his career.
The Lithonia, Ga., native played one season at LSU before finishing his career at Rice. Mance was a second-team All-WAC pick in 2003 and was named the Owls’ MVP in both 2002 and 2003. Just as decorated in the classroom, Mance was a two-time member of the WAC All-Academic Team and was named the Rice Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2003. Following his senior season, Mance was honored with the Bob Quin Award as Rice’s Top Male Student-Athlete and was a finalist for the Creamland Dairies National College Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year award.
A three-time all-state performer at Lithonia High School, Mance was the 1998 Metro Atlanta Player of the Year and the state’s AAA Player of the Year. He finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer and graduated as his class’ valedictorian.
Mance earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Rice in 2003.
