In the world of college basketball, regime changes often take time to develop. After winning the America East conference tournament in 2025, the Bryant Bulldogs went straight to the coaching market after Phil Martelli Jr. departed for the head coaching job at VCU. The Bulldogs went with veteran coach Jamion Christian, who was coaching Pallacanestro Trieste of Lega Basket Series A in Italy. This offseason was Christian’s first full go at it with Bryant for which he was excited.
“It was good to have
a full offseason with the program,” Christian said.
With the short offseason in mind, the Bulldogs finished with a 9-22 record with just one win on the road in the 2025-26 season. Coming off of a season in which the Bulldogs had made a run to the NCAA Tournament, the noise became loud when the team struggled. However, Christian was up to the challenge and protected his players.
“My job is to shield these guys from the noise,” Christian said. “I know I can’t control what the outside says, but I coached in Italy and the fan base made sure I knew they didn’t like U.S. coaches. I am tougher than they think.”
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There were players in the Bryant locker room who believed in Christian’s leadership, and despite the difficult season, they chose to return for the 2026-27 season. Two notable returnees are sophomore point guard Ty Tabales and graduate forward Keegan Harvey.
“Almost before the season ended, Ty and Keegan came into my office and told me they wanted to come back,” Christian said. “Now, they are two starters I can build around.”
This year’s Bulldog roster certainly has a different look compared to last season. Christian used this full offseason to recruit new players who can be versatile on both sides of the ball. Sophomore Eric Chatfield Jr. showed potential last season appearing in 14 games for Georgia Tech with his most productive performance coming against Stanford with a career-high three rebounds and eight points on 4-8 shooting. Junior Andre Pasha had a productive season with New Haven during their inaugural Division-I season leading, his squad in three key stats with 40 3-point field goals made, 22 blocks, and 132 defensive rebounds.
“I have a distinct way I like to play the game,” Christian said. “Last year’s team just didn’t fit that. This year’s team is the exact team I want as a coach. This team has the exact vibe, attitude and readiness needed to go on a run. There’s teams I’ve coached that I brought to a level they haven’t seen before, and this team had the exact build I’m looking for.”
The Bulldogs tip off their season against Siena Nov. 2 at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I.
