Mad Ants announce additions to basketball operations staff

JANUARY 29, 2021 ---The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, presented by Lutheran Health Network, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, announced Friday additions to the basketball operations staff for the single site season to begin in February at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.

Michael Ruffin joins the Mad Ants as an Assistant Coach. Ruffin was last a Player Development Coach for the New Orleans Pelicans since 2014. Ruffin spent nine seasons playing in the NBA between 1999 and 2009, playing in 414 games. Ruffin finished his playing career in the 2010-2011 season with Obradoiro CAB in Spain after a brief stint coaching the Colorado Kings of the ABA. The Denver, Colorado native was First Team All-WAC in college while playing for Tulsa.

Isaac Jenkins joins the Mad Ants as a Video Coordinator. During the 2019-20 season, Jenkins was an Assistant Video Coordinator and Player Development Assistant with the Washington Wizards; he started with Washington in 2018. A native of Italy, Jenkins has been involved with the G League dating back to 2015 as a Player Development Assistant with the Maine Red Claws. Jenkins experience include working with the NBA Summer League, Adidas EuroCamp and Global Nations and as an assistant coach at UMass Dartmouth.

Scott Simpson returns for his second season as an Assistant Coach with the team. The Mad Ants previously announced on January 11 that Tom Hankins would take over as the seventh head coach in organization history.

“Personally not having much experience on the professional level, I wanted to make sure that my staff was knowledgeable of the NBA and G League. Scott, Michael and Isaac compliment each other very well. They have experience in all aspects of coaching: video, game planning and were highly recommended from the organizations they were with in the past. I can’t be more excited about this group of guys. I am looking forward to a great experience with them in the bubble,” Hankins said.

Christian van der Schijff joins the Mad Ants as an Athletic Trainer. A physical therapist, he joins Fort Wayne from a position with ProSports Therapy in Massachusetts. van der Schijff previously worked with Pacers Sports & Entertainment in 2018 as a Physical Therapy Clinical Student. He has also worked as a Athletic Training Clinical Student at Tufts University and as a Physical Therapy Intern for the Boston Celtics.

Dan Rosselli will be in his fourth season with the team as an Athletic Trainer, Brandon Penthany will be in his second season as the Strength & Conditioning coach and Mike Stump returns as a Coaching Associate after spending last season as a Basketball Operations Intern. Brian Levy (General Manager) and Chris Taylor (Assistant General Manager) return as well.

About the Fort Wayne Mad Ants

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, are owned and operated by Pacers Sports & Entertainment. For more visit ftwaynemadants.com or call 260-469-HOOP. Follow the Mad Ants on Twitter (@TheMadAnts), Facebook (/themadants) or Instagram (@fortwaynemadants).

About the NBA G League

The NBA’s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, trainers and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 29 teams, 28 with direct affiliations to NBA franchises for 2020-21, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. A record 45 percent of all NBA players at the start of the 2020-21 season boasted NBA G League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.