Cole Pittis, who played for Geno Ford at Muskingum University and boasts eight years of college basketball coaching and operations experience, begins his third year at Bradley, but first as an assistant coach. Pittis had served as Bradley's Director of Operations before being promoted to Assistant Coach in June 2014.
Pittis came to Bradley from the University of Mount Union, where he completed his second stint as an assistant coach during the 2011-12 season. In addition to his full range of basketball coaching responsibilities, Pittis also was responsible for football game-day management at Mount Union.
Pittis was a senior at Muskingum when Ford began his 2-year stint as the school's men's basketball head coach in 2005-06. Named Muskingum's William G. Moore Outstanding Senior Male Athlete, Pittis earned first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors and landed a spot on the OAC All-Tournament Team. Upon finishing his playing career, Pittis immediately began his coaching career by joining Ford's Muskingum staff as an assistant coach for the 2006-07 campaign. His responsibilities included recruiting, scouting and on-court coaching duties.
When Ford left Muskingum to return to Kent State as an assistant coach, Pittis joined the Mount Union staff as an assistant coach for the 2007-08 season. In addition to his responsibilities with the Raiders' varsity squad, Pittis served as the head coach for the men's basketball reserve team at Mount Union.
Pittis followed Ford to the Mid-American Conference by joining the Akron staff for three years (2008-11) and helped the Zips to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2011, as well as an appearance in the 2010 CBI. He served as a graduate assistant coach from 2008-10, then as the video coordinator and assistant director of operations during the 2010-11 campaign.
A native of Uhrichsville, Ohio, where he starred at Claymont High School, Pittis earned his bachelor's degree physical education and health from Muskingum in 2007 and his master's degree in education (sports science and coaching) from Akron in 2009.