TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (July 21, 2021) - It isn't only the players who are catapulting to new opportunities from the Salt Lake Community College men's basketball program.

In a release last week, SLCC assistant coach Ricardo Rush was announced as an assistant coaching hire at New Jersey Institute of Technolgy (NJIT), an NCAA Division-I program in the America East Conference. Rush served as an assistant under Bruins coach Kyle Taylor, playing an integral role in recruiting and on-court coaching.

Taylor said Rush is very deserving of his opportunities.

"I'm thrilled for this opportunity for Ricardo," he said. "It is so hard to become a Division-I assistant in this business, so for him to land a great job at NJIT is awesome. NJIT has a great basketball program and Coach Kennedy is a very good basketball coach. I know Ricardo will add a lot of value there, he will continue to learn and develop his craft as a college basketball coach, and help the Highlanders be successful. The players in the program are very fortunate to have a man like Coach Rush, who will look after them and serve them well. I wish Ricardo nothing but the best, and hopefully we will be able to send a couple Bruins his way."

During Rush's tenure with Salt Lake, the Bruins continued to be one of the top programs in the NJCAA, powering to a 49-9 record with two trips to the NJCAA National Tournament. Additionally, SLCC had 14 players who have moved on to NCAA Division-I institutions, along with two players earning NJCAA All-America honors. The Bruins also have eight players who have earned NJCAA Academic All-America recognition.

Rush said coaching at SLCC was a beneficial step in his career.

"SLCC was a phenomenal coaching experience that allowed me to increase my recruiting database, gain on-court college coaching skills, and then learn about the academic process," he said. "I welcomed the opportunity to scout our opponents and focused on our team's strengths and weaknesses in preparing them for two successful seasons.

"My goals as a Division-I assistant are to take my coaching and leadership skills to the next level. I look forward to connecting with players so that they understand their roles on the team. I want to motivate them to work at the highest level of intensity. My vision is to contribute to developing individual players into a unit that can compete for America East championships."

Rush played a pivotal role in on-court coaching for the Bruins, specializing in offensive game planning. His offensive prowess was well-noted, with Salt Lake routinely having one of the most efficient offenses in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

"Ricardo has been an incredible coach at SLCC for the past two seasons and he will be greatly missed," Taylor said. "I was very fortunate to be able to hire Coach Rush when I first got the job at Salt Lake. His recruiting connections and relationships on the East Coast and in the South have been pivotal in our success, as Ricardo is responsible for many of the talented players we had on our roster over the past two years. We certainly don't make back-to-back national tournaments without him on staff. Ricardo did a tremendous job running our offense this year, installing some great plays and calling great games from the bench in terms of offensive play calls. I gave Ricardo a ton of freedom because I trust him and know he's a terrific coach."