Our Coaches

Meet the Coaches of our Athletics Department. 

Rodrick Harrison

Head Coach

Rodrick Harrison is currently the head coach at Mount Zion Preparatory Academy. From 2009-2012, he was an assistant coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School located in Baltimore, Maryland where he helped lead the team to 3 State Championships 2009-2012. During the summer of 2011, Harrison also coached Under Armour’s Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, the B’More Panthers, in which several players received Division I scholarships to schools such as Loyola University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Prior to that, he served as a head coach from 2007-2009 at the Cardinal Sheehan School in Baltimore. His teams placed 2nd in the league for two years for the Catholic Middle Schools of Maryland. As an energetic and intense coach, he develops guards and scouts other teams in preparation for games. In his experience as a coach, Harrison has forged many great relationships with collegiate basketball programs around the country.

Player Experience: Rodrick Harrison was the starting guard for the University of Maryland Baltimore County from 1996 to 1999. During the 1998-1999 season, Harrison was named MVP of the team. Harrison was a member of the 1998-1999 team that achieved the most consecutive wins in the North East Conference, as well as winning a conference championship in 1999. From 1995-1996, Harrison played at Catonsville Community College, where he was ranked #4 in Junior College (JUCO) Division II. While playing at Catonsville, he made the 2nd team All-Region JUCO team as a freshman averaging 20 points a game, 5 assists, and shooting just over 45 percent from 3-point range. As a high school student, Harrison attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School from 1991-1995. During this time, he averaged 12 points, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds a game, and played on three teams that were ranked top 10 in the nation. He also won 3 State Championships and finished his senior year with his team being ranked No. 7 in the country by USA Today.

Brian Scott

Associate Head Coach

Brian Scott aka Coach “B” is currently the associate head coach at Mount Zion Preparatory Academy. Brian has been Associate Head Coach since 2012 the program’s first year. While at Mt Zion coach B spent several years with Baltimore’s Finest as well as Team Thrill AAU programs. With Baltimore’s Finest Coach B started as an Assistant Coach with the 17U team and eventually became the Head Coach, soon after, he became the Assistant Director of the program. With Team Thrill Coach B’s position was College Recruiting Coordinator, in that position Coach B’s responsibility was to develop and maintain relationships with college coaches nationwide. Coach B’s responsibilities with Mt Zion Prep include planning practices, on-the-floor coaching, breaking down film, and assisting players with the college recruiting process. Coach B is also responsible for assisting and planning travel as well as game day preparation. From 2009-2012, Scott was an assistant coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School located in Baltimore, Maryland. In his three years as an assistant coach, Dunbar won three consecutive State Championships from 2009-2012, as well as the Baltimore City Public School Championship in 2011-2012. In addition to coaching players on the court, he helped plan and execute all academic policies to ensure student-athletes remained in good academic standing. During the 2003-2004 season, he coached at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and helped the head coach with game time planning. Scott also coached at the collegiate level, serving as the Student Assistant Coach at Barton College from 1998-1999.

Player Experience: In high school, Scott played for the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) varsity team where he helped lead them to their first-ever regional championship game, and was chosen to represent Poly in the East vs. West All-Star game. He finished his senior year at Poly averaging 15.9 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, and leading his team to an 18-6 record. Scott continued his athletic career as a small forward shooting guard at Catonsville Community College in Maryland where, as a freshman, he averaged 15.4 points a game, leading the school to a 14-13 record and the school’s first winning season under Coach Luke D’Alessio. During his sophomore year, he averaged 15.6 points per game, while the team finished 28-7 and ranked #4 in the nation. Scott played in the Maryland JUCO All-Star game and finished his career with more than 100 three-pointers and averaged 15.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. He continued his career at Barton College where he helped Barton win the 1996-1997 CVAC Conference Championship finishing 22-5. Scott was instrumental in helping Barton College make the 1996-1997 NCAA Division II National Tournament, the school’s first time ever making it into the tournament.

Martino Pepe​

Assistant Coach, Player Development

Coming Soon!

Tyus Gaines

Assistant Coach, Player Development

Tyus Gaines. Originally from Central, South Carolina. Played and graduated from Southern Wesleyan University where i got my Bachelors degree in Sport and Recreation Management. Been coaching for 6 years now. Couple middle school stops, aau, and a year of college coaching at the D2 level. Been at Mt. Zion for three years with an overall record of 60-28 during my time here so far. Known for my player development skills and ability to connect with the youth.

Ty Will

Director of Sports Performance

Tyson holds a BA in Kinesiology. He then became certified by the national strength and conditioning association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). As he continued on with his career as a strength coach serving as the lead strength and conditioning coach for various high level high school athletic programs, he continued his education in strength and conditioning as well. During this time he became certified through The International Youth Conditioning Association as a Youth Fitness Specialist (YFS:1-3); Youth Nutrition Specialist (YNS); and High School Strength and Conditioning Specialist (HSSCS). In his pursuit of knowledge he noticed a true connection with the body from injury preventation training. To build that knowledge base he became certified through the National Academy of Sports and Nutrition as a Performance exercise Specialist (PES), Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), and Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (CSNC). Since 2008, Tyson has heavily followed chiropractic services, sports medicine doctors, and other performance based strength coaches. Because the industry is so dynamic and the athletes prove to be the same. As a strength coach Tyson has decided to be as well.

Renard Smith

Athletic Director

Renard Smith was appointed the full-time head coach at Bowie State University – July 15, 2010, after serving as the Interim Coach of the BSU Lady Bulldogs for four months and has more than 20 years of experience as a Coach, Athletic Administrator, and Educator. Prior to his current appointment, Smith served one season as an assistant coach at Bowie State. Before coming to the Bowie State campus, he was employed by Baltimore City Community College (2003-2010) in several capacities; Interim Athletic Director, Assistant Athletic Director, and Health and Wellness Instructor.

In the Fall of 2005 while serving as the Interim Athletic Director, Smith was also named Head Woman’s Basketball Coach. The Dean of Student Affairs at that time (McCarrol Nole) gave Coach Smith the task of rebuilding the athletic programs for Baltimore City Community College and wanted him to start with Women’s Basketball. Rebuild, is just what Renard did in only five seasons. Coach Smith’s team became a Maryland JUCO conference leader and he became one of the MDJUCO conference’s top coaches.

Renard was named the 2010 Coach of the Year for winning both the MDJUCO Conference Title and the NJCAA Region XX Championship. His team finished the season with an undefeated record of 27-0, were Nationally Ranked 16th in the country, and had the #1 Nationally Ranked Defensive Team in the country the entire 2009-2010 campaign.

“Coach Nard” is what the student-athletes affectionately called him. He began his athletic career during the summer of 1988 as a Coach and Summer Athletic Program Director for Baltimore City Parks and Recreation. Renard has coached and taught in Baltimore City Public and Private Schools and has even worked in a Catholic school environment at Saint Frances Academy where he served as an assistant Coach for the Boys Varsity Basketball team. In February 2005 Saint Frances won the Baltimore Catholic League Championship. Renard has even gained professional experience by serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for the American Basketball Association (ABA) semi-professional Basketball team the Baltimore Pearls.

Sam Caldwell

Head Coach, Director of Girls Basketball & Varsity

Coming Soon!

Leslie Daley

Head Coach, Director of Girls Basketball & Varsity

Coming Soon!