In nine years after taking over the reigns of the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's basketball program on August 19, 2004, head coach Damaine Powell has transformed the team from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) doormat to an annual contender, as evidenced by the 2010-11 CCAA Tournament Title after a second place finish in the regular season which included establishing five program records for most wins (23), best start to the season (16-1), consecutive wins (10), toppling the top-ranked team in the nation (Cal Poly Pomona, 12/3/10) and the highest ranking in the NABC (No. 4).
Last year, Powell led the Toros to a CCAA Tournament berth as CSUDH nearly pulling off a miraculous comeback for the ages at Chico State after being down nine points with 40 seconds left in regulation, only to fall by two with a chance to win in at the buzzer before a 3-point look went awry, with DeShaun Freeman earning a 2nd-team All-CCAA honor.
One year earlier, Powell led the Toros to an eighth place finish in the CCAA, only to fall to top-seeded Chico State in a 52-45 decision in the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament. But the 2011-12 squad did not go unrecognized in honoring Robert Willhite and Wayne Andrews with 2nd-team All-CCAA awards.
Before the 2009-10 season fourth-place finish in league play, the Toros claimed a share of the 2008-09 CCAA regular season title with a then program-tying 22 wins, which included an NCAA West Region 1st-round win, and pushing top-seeded and No. 3-ranked BYU-Hawai'i to the brink in a competitive second-round defeat.
In 2007-08, the Toros finished third, and within just two games of qualifying for the Division II version of March Madness after earning a No. 5 seed in the CCAA Tournament, where the Toros advanced to the semifinals.
Powell, who enters the 2012-13 campaign with a 136-116 overall record in his first eight years in Cardinal & Gold, intends on carrying last year's momentum over to this season … and then some.
“CSUDH should be a basketball power,” Powell states, “and I am going to make sure I do everything I can to make it that.”
With his no nonsense approach to the game, Powell prides himself on his strong work ethic, and demands that his players follow suit. He refuses to concern himself with how his players performed in last night's game, but focuses on how hard they compete in the ensuing practice, an effort that ultimately will decide who sees the most floor time on game day.
Equipped with an insatiable appetite for detail, Powell preaches a repetition of fundamentals, especially on defense and on the boards, practices that are known for determining success or failure come crunch time.
And based on the program's improvement since taking over the reins, Powell's formula has paid noticeable dividends thus far.
“The focus of all my teams is defense and rebounding, first and foremost,” Powell preaches. “Defense and rebounds are the way to championships.”
Now entering his ninth season at the helm of the CSUDH men's basketball ship, the 40-something year old and father of two continues to draw from over a decade of head coaching experience, not counting the three years on the men's basketball staff at the University of Southern California, where Powell played collegiately from 1992-94.
Always the learner, Powell travels to different top-notch coaches to draw their wisdom and incorporate what he learns into his own ever-evolving philosophy.
“I go to coaches all over the country to learn and soak in as much knowledge as I can,” Powell says as a matter of fact. “I've visited with Tim Floyd, Lute Olsen, George Raveling,” he continues, as he rattles off the top coaches past and present, “Rudy Washington and Tom Izzo, and take everything I learn from them and put them into my personality and teaching style.”
During his first year as head coach of Compton College, the then-24 year old Powell was believed to be the youngest coach ever to win a state title after the Tartars captured the Championship with a 27-3 record. Powell then led the program to a second title in 2003 after Compton defeated American River JC and finished 17-8 on the year, sending Powell off with a Championship in his final season at the junior college level. Enjoying unparalleled success at that level where he compiled an overall 152-60 record in seven seasons as a junior college head coach, Powell led his teams to the state playoffs every season, including a semifinal berth in 1998-99.
Prior to Compton College, Powell served on the men's basketball staff at USC from 1995-97 under former Trojan head coaches Charles Parker and Henry Bibby, where he helped the Trojans to a 39-47 overall record, including a 17-11 mark in 1996-97 when USC dropped a 90-77 decision to Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
As a player under legendary former USC head coach George Raveling, Powell enjoyed two winning seasons from 1992-93 to 1993-94, when the Trojans qualified for back-to-back NIT berths. As a senior co-captain in his final regular season game, Powell connected for the game-winning basket with 2.6 seconds left to propel USC to a 69-68 victory at Oregon State, sending them to the NIT Tournament. During his career, he averaged 2.2 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.6 assists per game.
“Damaine worked as hard as anybody and was a great person to have on our club,” says Raveling. "I always felt that one day he would be an outstanding coach, and he proved that at Compton College. I fully expect him to bring success to Cal State Dominguez Hills.”
Prior to his two playing years at USC, Powell was named the South Coach Conference Player of the Year at Long Beach City College, averaging 9.8 points, 6.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game during the 1991-92 season as he led the Vikings to a 31-6 record and a semifinal appearance in the junior college state tournament. As a freshman one year earlier, he averaged 4.7 points, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals for LBCC, which finished 32-5 and made the state championship game.
Powell is no stranger to the Carson campus. A native of the local community who prepped at Long Beach St. Anthony's High School, he grew up in the Torodome shooting hoops and attending legendary and former CSUDH head coach Dave Yanai's basketball camps.
“I just try to bring in good people because good people find a way to be successful,” Powell concludes. “We try to create a family atmosphere on my teams, and hopefully produce a good kid that's passionate about academics and basketball, and who will help us win at the same time.”
Powell received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in History from USC.
(August 2013)
