Dante Jackson named assistant coach at USF

University of South Florida Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Mack Thursday officially welcomed several members of his first Bulls coaching staff.

Mack will bring to Tampa four members of his College of Charleston staff who helped the Cougars post a pair of 20-win seasons in Mack's two years leading the program, as well as a former player and coaching staff member from his time at Xavier. Two of Mack's South Florida staff additions have played for him and also previously served on his staffs, while one has been a key part of two of his staffs at previous stops.

Jeremy Growe will serve as associate head coach on Mack's South Florida staff. He previously served for 10 seasons on Mack's staff at Xavier and was an assistant coach for two years on Mack's Charleston staff. Mack will also bring assistant coach Christen Cunningham, director of basketball operations Seth Tatum and director of creative for men's basketball Ryan Witthoff to Tampa from his Charleston staff.  Cunningham also played for Mack at Louisville and served as a graduate assistant on his staff there. (Biographical summaries can be found below).

Dante Jackson will serve as an assistant coach and comes to South Florida after spending the last eight seasons as an assistant coach at Xavier (2018-26). Jackson previously served as a graduate assistant (2012-14) on Mack's staff at Xavier and played on Xavier teams coached by Mack, playing his first two seasons with Mack as associate head coach and his junior and senior seasons coinciding with Mack's first two seasons as head coach at Xavier.

"Great people are the foundation of any successful program, and the individuals we have at South Florida are truly exceptional," Mack said. "I'm excited to welcome Jeremy, Christen, Seth, and Ryan to Tampa—they will be vital to the championship culture we are building. I'm also thrilled to be coaching alongside Dante again; his experience and presence elevate everyone around him. Max has already made an immediate impact and will be an important contributor to our staff."

Max Wittenberg will continue to serve as men's basketball video coordinator. Wittenberg joined the USF staff in 2025 and was part of the Bulls' 2026 American Conference regular season and tournament championship team.

"This is a group defined by intelligence, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. They bring a tremendous work ethic and consistency to everything they do. Just as importantly, they share a deep understanding of the principles that drive our program's success. That alignment will allow us to move forward with purpose from day one.

"Beyond their professional strengths, they are outstanding mentors and teachers. They will play a critical role in helping our student-athletes grow—not only as players, but as individuals—so they can reach their full potential both on and off the court."

2026-27 South Florida Basketball Staff
Jeremy Growe - Associate Head Coach
Christen Cunningham - Assistant Coach
Dante Jackson - Assistant Coach
Seth Tatum - Director of Basketball Operations
Max Wittenberg – Men's Basketball Video Coordinator
Ryan Witthoff - Director of Creative for Men's Basketball.
 
Jeremy Growe - Associate Head Coach
Growe served as an assistant coach for two seasons on Chris Mack's staff at the College of Charleston, helping the Cougars to post a pair of 20-win seasons. He previously worked for 10 seasons at Xavier, starting as a graduate assistant on Chris Mack's Musketeers staff before being promoted to director of basketball operations. Prior to arriving in Charleston, Growe had a successful five-year tenure at Furman on Bob Richey's staff, serving the first two as assistant coach and the last three as associate head coach. In 2022-23, he helped lead the Paladins to a school-record 28 wins, a Southern Conference Tournament championship and an upset of No. 4 seed Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Growe helped the Paladins post three 20-wins seasons in his tenure, including a 25-7 mark in his first season. A graduate of Indiana University (2009), where he served as a basketball student manager, he began his coaching career at Xavier, helping the Musketeers compile a 234-113 record, win three conference titles, play in eight NCAA Tournaments, and make four Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearances.
 
Christen Cunningham - Assistant Coach
Cunningham served as an assistant coach for two seasons on Chris Mack's staff at the College of Charleston, helping the Cougars to post a pair of 20-win seasons. He previously served as a graduate assistant on Mack's Louisville staff (2020-22) and was a team captain on Mack's 2018-19 Louisville team that won 20 games and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cunningham also served two seasons on the staff at Rhode Island, starting as director of player development before serving as an assistant coach. A graduate of Samford University, he began his playing career as a three-year starter at Samford, setting the program's all-time assist record (514) and scoring 1,283 points, before transferring to Louisville. He played professionally in the Croatian Premier League and Adriatic Basketball Association before beginning his coaching career.
 
Dante Jackson - Assistant Coach
Jackson previously played for and coached under Chris Mack at Xavier. The former standout Xavier (and McClain High School) player comes to South Florida after serving as an assistant on the Xavier staff for eight seasons (2018-26), helping lead the Musketeers to five postseason appearances, including the 2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and a 2022 NIT Championship. Jackson previously served as a graduate assistant (2012-14) on Mack's staff at Xavier and played on Xavier teams coached by Mack, playing his first two seasons with Mack as associate head coach and his junior and senior seasons coinciding with Mack's first two seasons as head coach at Xavier. Jackson played in four NCAA Tournaments as a Musketeer player and won seven tournament games, including an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16 appearances. 
 
Seth Tatum - Director of Basketball Operations
Tatum served for two seasons as director of basketball operations at the College of Charleston under Chris Mack. A University of Louisville graduate, he spent four seasons as a student manager for the Cardinals under Mack before becoming a graduate assistant.
 
Max Wittenberg – Men's Basketball Video Coordinator
Wittenberg joined the USF staff in 2025 and was part of the Bulls' 2026 American Conference regular season and tournament championship team. He previously served as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide advance to the Final Four, and was a student manager for four seasons at the University of Michigan, helping the Wolverines to win a Big Ten title and make Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearances.
 
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About USF Men's Basketball: South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
 
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the Hall of Fame.
 
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.