University of South Florida Head Men\u2019s Basketball Coach Chris Mack today officially welcomed several members of his first Bulls coaching staff.<\/p>\n
Mack will bring to Tampa four members of his College of Charleston staff who helped the Cougars post a pair of 20-win seasons in Mack\u2019s two years leading the program, as well as a former player and coaching staff member from his time at Xavier. Two of Mack\u2019s South Florida staff additions have played for him and also previously served on his staffs, while one has been a key part of two of his staffs at previous stops.<\/p>\n
Jeremy Growe\u00a0will serve as associate head coach on Mack\u2019s South Florida staff. He previously served for 10 seasons on Mack\u2019s staff at Xavier and was an assistant coach for two years on Mack\u2019s Charleston staff. Mack will also bring assistant coach\u00a0Christen Cunningham, director of basketball operations\u00a0Seth Tatum\u00a0and director of creative for men\u2019s basketball\u00a0Ryan Witthoff\u00a0to Tampa from his Charleston staff. \u00a0Cunningham also played for Mack at Louisville and served as a graduate assistant on his staff there. (Biographical summaries can be found below).<\/p>\n
Dante Jackson\u00a0will serve as an assistant coach and comes to South Florida after spending the last eight seasons as an assistant coach at Xavier (2018-26). Jackson previously served as a graduate assistant (2012-14) on Mack\u2019s staff at Xavier and played on Xavier teams coached by Mack, playing his first two seasons with Mack as associate head coach and his junior and senior seasons coinciding with Mack\u2019s first two seasons as head coach at Xavier.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat people are the foundation of any successful program, and the individuals we have at South Florida are truly exceptional,\u201d Mack said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to welcome Jeremy, Christen, Seth, and Ryan to Tampa\u2014they will be vital to the championship culture we are building. I\u2019m also thrilled to be coaching alongside Dante again; his experience and presence elevate everyone around him. Max has already made an immediate impact and will be an important contributor to our staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max Wittenberg<\/a>\u00a0will continue to serve as men\u2019s basketball video coordinator. Wittenberg joined the USF staff in 2025 and was part of the Bulls\u2019 2026 American Conference regular season and tournament championship team.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a group defined by intelligence, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. They bring a tremendous work ethic and consistency to everything they do. Just as importantly, they share a deep understanding of the principles that drive our program\u2019s success. That alignment will allow us to move forward with purpose from day one.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond their professional strengths, they are outstanding mentors and teachers. They will play a critical role in helping our student-athletes grow\u2014not only as players, but as individuals\u2014so they can reach their full potential both on and off the court.\u201d<\/p>\n 2026-27 South Florida Basketball Staff Jeremy Growe \u2013 Associate Head Coach Christen Cunningham \u2013 Assistant Coach Dante Jackson \u2013 Assistant Coach Seth Tatum \u2013 Director of Basketball Operations
Jeremy Growe \u2013 Associate Head Coach
Christen Cunningham \u2013 Assistant Coach
Dante Jackson \u2013 Assistant Coach
Seth Tatum \u2013 Director of Basketball Operations
Max Wittenberg<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Men\u2019s Basketball Video Coordinator
Ryan Witthoff \u2013 Director of Creative for Men\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n
Growe served as an assistant coach for two seasons on Chris Mack\u2019s staff at the College of Charleston, helping the Cougars to post a pair of 20-win seasons. He previously worked for 10 seasons at Xavier, starting as a graduate assistant on Chris Mack\u2019s Musketeers staff before being promoted to director of basketball operations. Prior to arriving in Charleston, Growe had a successful five-year tenure at Furman on Bob Richey\u2019s staff, serving the first two as assistant coach and the last three as associate head coach. In 2022-23, he helped lead the Paladins to a school-record 28 wins, a Southern Conference Tournament championship and an upset of No. 4 seed Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Growe helped the Paladins post three 20-wins seasons in his tenure, including a 25-7 mark in his first season. A graduate of Indiana University (2009), where he served as a basketball student manager, he began his coaching career at Xavier, helping the Musketeers compile a 234-113 record, win three conference titles, play in eight NCAA Tournaments, and make four Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearances.<\/p>\n
Cunningham served as an assistant coach for two seasons on Chris Mack\u2019s staff at the College of Charleston, helping the Cougars to post a pair of 20-win seasons. He previously served as a graduate assistant on Mack\u2019s Louisville staff (2020-22) and was a team captain on Mack\u2019s 2018-19 Louisville team that won 20 games and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cunningham also served two seasons on the staff at Rhode Island, starting as director of player development before serving as an assistant coach. A graduate of Samford University, he began his playing career as a three-year starter at Samford, setting the program\u2019s all-time assist record (514) and scoring 1,283 points, before transferring to Louisville. He played professionally in the Croatian Premier League and Adriatic Basketball Association before beginning his coaching career.<\/p>\n
Jackson previously played for and coached under Chris Mack at Xavier. The former standout Xavier player comes to South Florida after serving as an assistant on the Xavier staff for eight seasons (2018-26), helping lead the Musketeers to five postseason appearances, including the 2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and a 2022 NIT Championship. Jackson previously served as a graduate assistant (2012-14) on Mack\u2019s staff at Xavier and played on Xavier teams coached by Mack, playing his first two seasons with Mack as associate head coach and his junior and senior seasons coinciding with Mack\u2019s first two seasons as head coach at Xavier. Jackson played in four NCAA Tournaments as a Musketeer player and won seven tournament games, including an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16 appearances.<\/p>\n
Tatum served for two seasons as director of basketball operations at the College of Charleston under Chris Mack. A University of Louisville graduate, he spent four seasons as a student manager for the Cardinals under Mack before becoming a graduate assistant.<\/p>\n