Meet the Head Coaches of the New SlamBall League

SlamBall is back! Eight teams are playing a brand-new season of SlamBall in Las Vegas and a number of familiar faces are working the sidelines coaching this new era of players.

Trevor Anderson (Team: Ozone)

• Originally from Sarasota, FL, “TA” attended UCF and later played SlamBall for the Mob in 2003 and 2007, and the Hombres in 2008
• Anderson has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) since 2003 and currently owns Better Every Day, where he focuses on fitness and performance coaching, education and more
  • Certified track coach with USA Track and Field and works with golfers through his other venture, GOLFleticism
  • Master Performance Trainer and Brand Ambassador for Under Armour

 

Josh Carlson (Team: Lava)

• Originally from Tempe, Arizona and played college basketball at a small school in AZ
• Carlson was a SlamBall player in 2002 (Diablos), 2003 (Slashers), 2007 and 2008 (Bouncers)
  • Also took part in the 2012 and 2016 seasons of SlamBall China
• Works in real estate and plays music in between his stints with SlamBall

 

Ken Carter (Team: Rumble)

• The Mississippi-native played college basketball at San Francisco State, Contra Costa College and George Fox University
• Later worked as a high school coach, notably at Richmond HS in the San Francisco Bay Area
  • His emphasis on academic success while also winning on the court won him praise and Richmond’s 1999 season served as inspiration for the 2005 film Coach Carter, with Carter being portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson
• Carried in the Olympic Torch through Richmond/San Francisco in the lead-up to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
• Works as a motivational speaker and education activist, and serves as chairman of the Coach Ken Carter Foundation that provides education, training and mentoring programs to minority youth
• Back for his third time, after previously coaching the Rumble in 2002 (Champions), 2003 (Semi-finals) and 2008 (Runner-up)

 

Stan Fletcher (Team: Slashers)

• Stan “Shakes” Fletcher is a SlamBall legend, having played for the Steal in 2002 and 2003, Diablos in 2007 and Maulers in 2008
• Has worked with SlamBall in a number of capacities outside of his playing days, including running the Training Center for SlamBall China; since February 2023, he has held the title of Vice President of Operations
• Originally from Memphis, TN, Fletcher played basketball at Moorpark College (CA)
• Has held a variety of other interesting jobs throughout the years, including serving a motion capture model for games like NBA Live and NBA 2K
  • Earned a business degree from Washington State University in 2013
  • Ran the Basketball program at DNA Prep Academy in CA and later served as their Athletic Director (2022)
  • Does freelance social media, video editing and video production work

 

Jelani Janisse (Team: Gryphons)

• Originally from Los Angeles, California and graduated from John F. Kennedy HS in LA
• Played for Roy Williams at Kansas (1997-99), where we teammates with Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz
• Was a SlamBall player (nicknamed “The Sheriff”) during the 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008 with the Rumble, winning the league’s first-ever championship in 2002 and being named league MVP in 2003

 

Brendan Kirsch (Team: Mob)

• Kirsch returns to the sidelines after having previously coached the Mob during the 2002, 2003 and 2008 SlamBall seasons
  • He was just 23 years old in 2002 when he first started working with SlamBall
  • Prior to that, he worked as associate head coach at NAIA Bluefield College (at age 22), winning an AACC championship and reaching the 2002 NAIA Tournament
• Has also worked as a basketball coordinator in film and television, serving as crew on films like Semi-Pro and shows like The Office, Las Vegas, One Tree Hill and Eastbound & Down
  • Helped coach the actors for the beloved “Basketball” episode in the first season of The Office
  • Appeared in three episodes of One Tree Hill as an actor, playing the character of Brendan

Hernando Planells Jr. (Team: Buzzsaw)

• Originally from Los Angeles, California, Planells is of Filipino and Spanish descent
• Has extensive coaching background, including stints in the NBA D-League (Maine Red Claws), NCAA women’s basketball (Duke Blue Devils and Illinois Fighting Illini), as head women’s coach at NAIA William Jessup (CA) and as a scout both state-side and abroad
  • Served as the head coach of the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the professional Basketball Japan League in 2007-08, and spent several years coaching the New Zealand U19 women’s team
  • Was the head coach of the Bouncers in the inaugural 2002 season of SlamBall
• Planells also works in Hollywood, serving as a basketball coordinator for a number of films, including Coach Carter, The Longest Yard, Semi-Pro, Grown Ups, That’s My Boy, Chang Can Dunk, and many others

 

James Willis (Team: Wrath)

• James “Champ” Willis was one of the first players recruited to play SlamBall, playing as a gunner for the Rumble in 2002, 2007 and 2008 and the Riders in 2003
  • The only person to play for the first two SlamBall championship teams, which solidified his nickname – Rumble in 2002 and Riders in 2003

 

credit to SlamBall League for the image