SWCC Names JJ Thatcher as New Head Men’s Basketball Coach

Men’s Basketball: Head Coach Announcement
1/30/2025 | Shaun Schetka

Cedar Bluff, VA- Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) Director of Athletics Dr. Gary Warford has officially named James "JJ" Thatcher as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach. After an extensive national search Dr. Warford announced Thursday.

Coach Thatcher expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the Southwest Virginia Community College Men’s Basketball program and to establish a strong foundation and culture of student-first athletes. I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Warford for his trust and confidence in me to guide this program on its new journey for years to come. Being part of a community that wholeheartedly supports its local college creates incredible opportunities for every student-athlete at Southwest Virginia Community College.”

Coach JJ Thatcher brings a wealth of experience, with over five years as a head coach at the NAIA level, most recently at Florida National University (FNU). During his time at FNU, he built one of the top NAIA programs in the state and across the country. In the 2019-2020 season, he led his team to an impressive 24-6 record and secured another #1 seed in the USCAA National Tournament—only for the season to be cut short due to COVID-19. That year, three of his players—Kenneth Santos (First Team All-American, 19 PPG), Jeffrey Hernandez (First Team All-American), and Jose Benitez (Second Team All-American, 15 PPG)—earned national recognition. These players came from top AAU programs, including the Miami Tropics, coached by Art "Pilin" Alvarez.

In the 2018-2019 season, Thatcher’s team racked up 23 wins and made a USCAA Final Four run, earning another #1 seed in the National Tournament. The year before that, his squad posted a school-best 25-7 record and reached their first-ever USCAA Final Four. That historic team featured two First Team All-Americans—Christopher Hall and Terence Johnson—and Third Team All-American Kenneth Santos.

Before his time at FNU, Thatcher spent a season at State College of Florida (NJCAA D1) in Bradenton. Head Coach Brock Erickson (now at Nichols College, NCAA D3) had high praise for Thatcher’s contributions: “Coach Thatcher will be deeply missed. His tireless work ethic and recruiting skills put SCF on the map. He has a great eye for talent and can recruit with the best of them.” During his time there, SCF went 24-7 and won the Sun Coast Conference Championship.

Thatcher also has experience as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Trinity Baptist College (TBC) for the 2011-2012 season, where he recruited Nicole Collins—who became the school’s all-time leading scorer, averaging an incredible 32 points and 19 rebounds per game. That season, he helped lead the Lady Eagles to their first-ever win, even securing an overtime victory with just four players left on the court. He also worked as an assistant and recruiting coordinator for the men’s team, which won a Small College National Championship with four NCAA Division I transfers he helped bring in. His efforts turned TBC into a nationally recognized program, scheduling games against top NCAA and NAIA programs like Jacksonville University, Savannah State University, and Valdosta State University.

Before TBC, Thatcher was the top assistant men’s basketball coach at Brewton-Parker College (NAIA) in Georgia. He helped the team secure back-to-back SSAC Conference Tournament appearances and brought in top NCAA Division I transfers, leading to upset wins over nationally ranked programs like Emmanuel College (20) and Southern Poly State University (16). He also recruited for the women’s team, landing top talent like LSU transfer Erica Brown, one of South Florida’s most highly regarded female athletes.

SWCC Director of Athletics Dr. Gary Warford couldn’t be more excited about the hire:

“We’re beyond thrilled to have Coach JJ Thatcher joining us as our new head men’s basketball coach. His passion for the game, dedication to his players, and ability to build winning programs make him the perfect fit. I have no doubt he’s going to make an immediate impact on our team, both on and off the court. We’re lucky to have him here at SWCC, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Coach Thatcher’s first game leading the Flying Eagles will be this Friday night as they host Guilford Technical Community College at the King Community Center. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM.