Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- merrill_jd@mercer.edu
- Phone:
- (478) 301-2509
Jarred Merrill enters his fourth year on the Mercer men’s basketball staff and has played an instrumental role in the continued success of the Bears’ program. During his time at Mercer, the Bears have appeared in two post-season tournaments.
Merrill arrived in Macon with a diverse resume that included three seasons as an assistant coach and seven years of professional basketball experience.
“Jarred played two years for me with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League and is a very talented young man,” said Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman. “He has great experience at different levels of the pro ranks, which he will be able to bring to recruiting and individual workouts with our guys. His demeanor and attitude about the game will be tremendous for our program and we are thrilled to have him join our staff.”
Merrill spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Southern Nazarene, where he helped guide the Crimson Storm to a third-place finish at the 2014 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Tournament. During his time at Southern Nazarene, Merrill also oversaw the development of 2014-15 All-Great American Conference selection and 2013-14 GAC Newcomer of the Year, LB Willis.
The 2005 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Year native starred at Oklahoma Christian, where he holds the all-time scoring record (2,189 points) and ranks second on the school’s all-time rebounding list with 1,120 career boards.
Merrill also set school records for single-season scoring (821 points), free throws made (259) and attempted (311), while owning the top marks in career field goals attempted (1,487) as well career free throws made (650) and attempted (795). He also shares the school record for career double-doubles with 59.
After his career at Oklahoma Christian, Merrill enjoyed a seven-year professional career with stops in Argentina, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Spain and South Korea. A member of the Oklahoma Christian Athletic Hall of Fame, Merrill also played professionally in the NBA D-League, the American Basketball Association and the United States Basketball League.
A native of Abilene, Texas and coach at Oklahoma City power Bishop McGuiness High School, he earned a master’s degree in management from Southern Nazarene in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian in 2005.
Jarred and his wife Candace have three children, a daughter, Jaya, and his two sons, Mannix and Jarred Jr.
