Q and A with Chris DeMarco

The 10YS team caught up with the newly named head coach for the Bahamas Men’s National team, Chris DeMarco.

NBA Coaching

His career began with the Golden State Warriors in 2012 as the team video scout.

In seven years he has moved up the coaching ladder, serving as the players development coach, and currently an assistant coach.

He also served as the Warriors summer league head coach in 2017.

During that span the Warriors have advanced to the finals 5 times, winning the championship on 3 occasions.

DeMarco also served as an assistant coach for the Bahamas during the third window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

Background

DeMarco played power forward for Dominican during the 2008-2009.

He started in all 29 games averaging a team-high in both points 14.9 and rebounds 9.6 per game, while shooting 54% from the field.

With his 9.6 rebounds per game it was 16th best in the nation which garnered a NAIA Div. II All-America Honorable Mention.

IDeMarco graduated from Dominican in 2009 with his business degree and in 2011 with his Master of Business Administration.

What made the Bahamas head coaching job attractive?

CD – My coaching experience during the World Cup Qualifiers last summer allowed me to see first-hand how skilled, passionate and tough-minded the Bahamian players are.

As a group, they’re very high character individuals on and off the court.

I believe the program will continue to grow under Mario Bowleg’s leadership and we have a shared vision of our goals moving forward.

There is already an excellent coaching staff in place, led by Norris Bain.

The combination of our talented players along with the program’s strong staff makes this job extremely attractive.

Other than Buddy and Ayton, who are some overlooked prospects in the Bahamas?

CD – There are plenty of highly-skilled players from the Bahamas that are not currently in the NBA.

Whether they’re competing overseas, college basketball, or at the high school level, it’s our job to find the most talented athletes we have available.

It will be important for us going forward to identify the players who give us the best chance to compete, and ultimately win the biggest tournaments.

10YS – What are some of the changes you will be bringing to the system?

CD – Our coaching staff, BBF President Mario Bowleg and Technical Director Steve Barnes, will continue to build a game plan that will give us the best chance to succeed in the future.

Our focus will certainly be on upcoming competitions, but there will be a long-term vision for Bahamas Basketball as we continue to cultivate the program.

Will you have an input on youth development as well as in preparation for the senior team level?

CD – There will be a major emphasis on youth development, not only in preparation for the senior team but also for their own basketball careers.

Our focus from the start will be on constructing a program where our junior teams reflect the concepts of our senior team.

It’s crucial that we continue to teach and develop our younger players so that they can be successful wherever they play.

We also need to be able to build chemistry and familiarity as they move up the ranks within the program.

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