During black history month, Central Pointe Christian Academy coach Craig Green finds a deeper sense of pride, passion and fervor in his day to day trade cultivating a young fleet at the Orlando, Fla.-based program.
A quintessential players’ coach who preaches accountability and has been a devout workhorse in the skill development department, Green has said since the beginning he wants to coach at an HBCU.
“I want to have the same type of impact of HBCU pioneers as Levelle Moton (NC Central) and Robert Jones (Norfolk State),” said Green.
“I love the way they’ve brought visibility on a national scale to HBCUs. They are familiar faces every March. They’ve done a great deal to bring a sense of pride for HBCUs and made it clear we can hang with the P5s.”
Green graduated from Savannah State, an HBCU in 2018, cherishing the experience of attending the first public historically black college in Georgia.
Immediately upon graduation, Green knew he was best suited for the coaching route. The 9-to-5 and corporate world didn’t have the same appeal to him, as the mentoring aspect gravitated Green to the coaching profession.
“People are proud to say they went to Savannah State. There’s notable alumni. Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, he’s an alum. Shannon Sharpe as well. The most important person, of course, is my mother, Cynthia Walden.”
Savannah State is embedded in Green’s veins. Nicknamed “University by the Sea,” the tightly-knit college is the first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah.
Learning the intricacies of the coaching trade from a number of prominent African American head coaches, most recently Tim Jordan at Savannah High, has given the young coach a wealth of motivation.
Holding his players to a high standard, enforcing a disciplined style, and being a role model for the community has enabled Green to embody the principles from those who came before him.
Jordan, who has accumulated 500+ career wins during a career of longevity, also went to Savannah State. Green cited structure and accountability and the family concept as three bedrock principles of Jordan’s system.
“Coach Jordan helped a lot of kids off the streets, he gave them a purpose, he provided a father figure when they may not have had them at home,” Green said.
“His work ethic and his ability to forge relationships with kids showed me its bigger than basketball with Coach (Jordan). He’s active in the church, he sings in the male choir. He’s helping out behind the scenes with the pastor. Anything from a mentorship standpoint in the church, he has a stake in.”
