Bobcats Return Former Student Assistant As Women’s Hoops Assistant Coach

Jones College women’s basketball is hiring former student assistant Griffin Cheatham to round out the Bobcat coaching staff for the 2025-26 season.

After hiring its 14th head coach in program history in March in Trista Magee Whitman, Jones has made one more hire to bring a whole new dynamic to Bobcat women’s basketball for next season.

Cheatham graduated with an associate degree from Jones in 2020 and was hired as head middle school and assistant varsity coach in 2020-21 at Presbyterian Christian. A year later, he spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant varsity coach for boys basketball at Petal High School. Cheatham was influential in player development, and the Panthers racked up a record of 24-8, the best in school history, before advancing to the Elite Eight of the MHSAA 6A State Playoffs.

Cheatham then came to Jones as a student assistant for the men’s basketball program in 2022-23 where the Bobcats finished 17-11 and and as the Region 23 runner-up. As a result of the season, eight players from the team would sign with four-year colleges, tying the program record.

For the 2023-24 season, Cheatham made his way to South Alabama to take on the role of graduate assistant coach for the women’s basketball team. This past season, he was an assistant coach for South Carolina Upstate’s men’s program where he handled video operations, coordinated offensive game plans and created defensive scouting reports.

Head Coach for the Bobcats Trista Magee Whitman hit on the experience that Cheatham brings to the table for the women’s basketball program.

“Griffin is no stranger to Jones basketball and an excellent piece to complete our staff,” coach Whitman said. “He brings Division I experience and contacts at the four-year level. He is very hard-working and knows what it takes to win.”

Author administrator Kellen Walker