Former KU guard Jeremy Case promoted to Jayhawks’ assistant men’s basketball coach
Former Kansas guard Jeremy Case, who played on the Jayhawks’ 2008 NCAA championship team and has been a member of KU’s support staff the past five seasons, has been named a full-time assistant men’s basketball coach at his alma mater.
KU coach Bill Self made the announcement Monday night.
Case, 36, from McAlester, Oklahoma, had served as interim assistant hoops coach at KU since Jerrance Howard left for a similar position at Texas on April 6. Case joins Norm Roberts and Kurtis Townsend as full-time assistants.
Prior to his stint as interim assistant, Case had the title of video coordinator at KU.
Sources close to the KU men’s basketball program told The Star on Monday that former KU guard Brady Morningstar will replace Case as video coordinator on the KU basketball support staff.
“I’ve known Jeremy since he was a baby and had the opportunity to coach him at KU,” Self said Monday. Case’s dad, Win, was a teammate of Self at Oklahoma State. “Then I had the chance to watch him one year with us as a graduate assistant before he went off to cut his teeth elsewhere in the coaching profession. He’s sharp. He’s personable and he’s prepared. Kansas is fortunate to have him represent this university.”
Self added: “Jeremy came back to KU before the 2016-17 season and I’ve had a chance, along with our entire staff, to watch him up close and watch his growth not only as a person but also as a coach. I’m very excited about his abilities to not only coach on the floor, but also to be a tremendous recruiter. He has done a terrific job since we put him into the interim position back in April and I anticipate him being a star within our profession.”
Case came to KU after four seasons as an assistant coach at Houston Baptist University.
“After serving in an interim role, I’m ready to continue building long-term and sustained success within the KU basketball program,” Case said. “I couldn’t be more appreciative of the opportunity. I will do everything in my power to make Coach Self, all my former teammates, and all of KU alumni proud by ensuring I take care of the rich history and tradition of the program while in this position.”
After graduating from KU in 2008, Case was on Self’s staff while taking graduate courses at KU for the 2008-09 season. From there, Case was an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State for three years before his four-year stint at Houston Baptist under coach Ron Cottrell. While at HBU, Case was part of the Huskies’ transition from the Great West Conference to the Southland Conference in 2013-14. After finishing 6-25 in 2013-14 and 14th in the Southland, the Huskies improved to 12-16 and tying for eighth in 2014-15 and 17-17 and fifth in the 2015-16.
Case played in 94 games while at Kansas and was part of four Big 12 regular season and three Big 12 postseason tournament championships. Including the 2008 national title. Case was part of three NCAA Elite Eight teams while playing at KU.
A redshirt in 2004-05, Case earned his bachelor’s degree in communications in 2007 and was a two-time academic all-Big 12 first-team honoree in 2006 and 2008.
Case’s father, Win, is an assistant men’s basketball coach at Middle Tennessee. Case’s mother, Rita Newton, played college basketball at Seminole (Oklahoma) Junior College.
Meanwhile, new video coordinator Morningstar, 35, served the past two years as assistant coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Prior to that he worked two seasons as an assistant at Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, Texas.
Morningstar also has worked as a personal offseason workout instructor for pro basketball players. He played at KU from 2006-07 to 2010-11.
A redshirt member of KU’s national championship team in 2008, Morningstar played in 116 games in a four-year career with the Jayhawks. During his career, he was also part of three NCAA Elite Eights, four NCAA Sweet 16s, five Big 12 regular season titles and four Big 12 Tournament championships. Following his career at KU, he played two seasons in the NBA’s D League with the Tulsa 66ers and Canton Chargers and three seasons overseas in Greece, Finland, Germany and Argentina.
