MEET THE CEO

Coach David Dennis Sr. started the Who Got Game Academy in 2008 as a way to give back to the community and to provide young athletes with a cost-effective solid program designed to teach more than just basketball. He is dedicated to motivating students to achieve goals, developing values-based athletes, and building winning programs. He is a passionate, focused, and team-spirited coach with proven expertise and a winning record (165-87 overall) as high school girls & boys basketball coach.

David Dennis won his 300th game as a high school coach, when the Warriors beat Adena on March 14th, 2019, in the regional semi-finals, at Ohio University.  This win, puts Coach Dennis in the top 100 coaches for all-time wins, in the state of Ohio.

Harvest Prep end up winning the regional championship and headed to the State Final Four, for the second year in a row.  This is the 4th time in six years and Coach Dennis’s 6th time in ten years.  Sounds like the coach/program of the decade.

The State Final Four had some powerhouses in Division 3.  Lutheran East, from Cleveland, Purcell Marian, from Cincinnati, Cardinal Stritch, from Oregon, and little oh Harvest Prep, from Canal Winchester.  These 4 teams were ranked in the top 4 of the state, all year long, rotating who was number 1. Harvest Prep finished #2 ranked, in the final state AP poll.

HPS met up in the semi-finals vs. Purcell Marian.  Their size was a huge advantage verse our Warriors, and it showed in the 1st quarter.  But our Warriors fought back and tied it at the half, 20-20.  Coach Dennis told his team at halftime, “we seen the best they can offer.  They haven’t seen our best.  They can change whatever defense they want, but we have 1000 plays, so it doesn’t matter”.  He went on to say “it’s our time, our half, let us take over.  This is the process to our destiny”.  The game continued to go back and forth, until an unsung hero, Raymond Robertson, hit a 3 pointer with about 1:30 to go in the game, and that is all she wrote.  Warriors move on to the State Championship game vs. Lutheran East.

The warriors had a day in between that game and the championship game.  One thing the HPS staff is good at is scouting and preparing for opponents.  They stayed up all night till 3 am, trying to dissect this lethal Lutheran East squad.  They were loaded with division 1 talent across the board and have been to the state several times.

It is game time, and no one understood how motivated and hungry them warriors wanted it.  This team was senior-led, with its best player being a junior.  This was their destination; how would it end.  Warriors came out on fire and took an 8-0 lead.  In championship games, an 8-point lead seems like a 16-point lead.  After the first quarter, the warriors led 16-8.  The falcons turned the pressure on and made a little run, but Harvest Prep never look phased and maintain the stellar play.  At Halftime, the warriors were up 10.  The second half began, and it was a defensive battle the whole half.  Harvest Prep though, never surrendered the lead.  Picture this, Lutheran East was 19-60 from the field, 2-26 from 3, and had 22 offensive rebounds.  HPS was 18-34 from the field, 7-17 from 3, and 12-16 from the foul line.  They double HPS possessions, and they still lost.  Warriors…. STATE CHAMPS.  This was Coach Dennis’s first championship on the boy’s side.  Making him one of the fewest coaches to win a state title doing it with boys and girls.  WOW!

After the state championship game, Coach Dennis and his family, traveled to watch his son, David Jr., play in the NCAA Division 2 national championship, elite eight, in Indiana.  They lost, but on this same day, the school/first family, were honoring the state championship team, so Coach had to return home.  It was a packed gym and there was nothing but excitement and laughter everywhere.  Coach was presented with an honorable award from the football program.  Then our Pastor and founder of HPS, Dr. Rod Parsley, began to talk.  During his speech, he asked Coach Dennis to join him and Ashton Parsley, and they unveiled a sign that said “DENNIS COURT”.  They named the gym floor in my honor.  Wow!!!  Coach Dennis Court will be scripted on the main floor forever.  What an honor, that he humbly received.

Highlights of his career at Harvest Prep. & WGGBA includes:

2023 Highlights

• Jump 25 Hall of Fame 2023

• 2023 Mid State League Champions

• 2023 Mid-State League Coach of the Year

2021 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 19-1

• 2021 Mid State League Champions

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division

• 2021 Mid State League Champions, 2021 District Runner-up

• WGGBA has 2 teams

2020 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 23-3

• All-Ohio (AP) Division III Player of the Year CJ Anthony

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division, Central District, Metro Coach of the Year (all divisions)

• 2020 Mid State League Champions, 2020 District Champions, 2020 Regional Elite Eight (season canceled due to covid)

• Final State ranking (AP) 3rd

• WGGBA has 2 teams

2019 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 28-2

• OHSAA Division III Boys Basketball State Champions, All-Ohio (AP) Division III Player of the Year CJ Anthony

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division, Central District

• 2019 Mid State League Champions, 2019 District Champions, 2019 Regional Champions

• Final State ranking (AP) 3rd

• 8 players signed to play college sports

• Won 300th game as a head coach

• WGGBA has 2 teams

2018 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 28-1

• OHSAA Division IV Boys Basketball State Final Four, All-Ohio (AP) Division IV Player of the Year CJ Anthony

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division, AP Coach of the Year Ohio Div IV, Central District

• 2018 Mid State League Champions, 2018 District Champions, 2018 Regional Champions

• Final State ranking (AP) 1st

• WGGBA has 3 teams

2017 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 19-6

• 2017 Mid State League Champions

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division

• 2017 Mid State League Champions, 2017 District Runner-up

• WGGBA has 2 teams

2016 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 13-10

• 2016 Mid State League Champions

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division

• WGGBA has 3 teams

2015 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 25-5

• OHSAA Division IV Boys Basketball State Runner-up, All-Ohio (AP) Division IV Player of the Year David Dennis Jr.

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division,

• 2015 Mid State League Champions, 2015 District Champions, 2015 Regional Champions

• Final State ranking (AP) 3rd

• WGGBA has 3 teams

2014 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 26-2

• OHSAA Division IV Boys Basketball Final Four, All-Ohio (AP) Division IV Player of the Year David Dennis Jr.

• Coach of the Year: Mid-State Cardinal Division, AP Coach of the Year Ohio Div. IV, Central District

• 2014 Mid State League Champions, 2014 District Champions, 2014 Regional Champions

• Final State ranking (AP) 1st

• WGGBA 17u was AAU Boys Basketball National Runner-Up – Division 2

• WGGBA 17u beat highly ranked Team Rose (Derrick Rose AAU team)

2013 Highlights

• Harvest Preparatory Schools Boys record 7-13

• WGGBA’s 16u team won the AAU Boys Basketball National Championship – Division 3

• WGGBA 16u was ranked #2 in the country

• WGGBA 16u won the silver division at the King James Shootout

• WGGBA had 5 AAU teams

2012 Highlights

Coach Dennis coached both the HPS boys varsity team and HPS girls varsity team simultaneously in 2012.

• Harvest Preparatory School Boys record 3-17

• Harvest Preparatory School Girls record 10-10

• WGGBA's 15U team took the state title  in Ohio & Kentucky

• WGGBA conducted its first annual combine.

2011 Highlights

Record: 27-1

• OHSAA Division IV Girls Basketball State Champions, All-Ohio (AP) Division IV Player of the Year Shicole Watts (Shared)

• Coach of the Year: Midstate Cardinal League, District 10

• 2011 District Champions, 2011 Regional Champions

• Final State ranking (AP) 1st

• WGGBA AAU team finish 7th in AAU national tournament

2010 Highlights

Record: 27-1

• OHSAA Division IV Girls Basketball State Champions, 2010 All-Ohio (AP) Division IV Coach of the Year (shared), IV All-Ohio (AP) Player of the Year Shicole Watts (shared)

• Coach of the Year: Midstate Cardinal League, District 10, Central District

• 2010 District Champions, 2010 Regional Champions

• Final state ranking (AP) 3rd

2009 Highlights

Record: 21-4

• Coach of the Year: Midstate Cardinal League

• 2009 League Champions, District Champions, Regional Runner-up

• Final state ranking (AP) 9th

Coach Dennis also coached the Liberty Union Middle Schoolboys team for one year, the Liberty Union High School boy's freshmen team for one year, and the Liberty Union High School girls team for five years.

The Who Got Game Basketball Academy is in its sixth season, with four teams in 2013 (Coach Dennis had three teams the first year and two the second year). Four years ago, his fifth grade AAU team won the State of Ohio AAU Division Title.

Coach Dennis has a lifetime of experience on the court, too. He was born and raised in Columbus and played AAU basketball for St. Stephens Community Center. He also played four years of Varsity basketball at Northland High School and was captain of the team for two seasons.

He is a graduate of Tiffin University where he lettered in basketball all four years and was captain of the team his senior year.

HIGH SHOULDER

Coach Dennis is known for being the architect for the “high shoulder defense”. We have not seen a team that runs their defense like him. Some programs are similar, but none like his. What’s fascinating is, he has been doing this defense, since he was the head girls coach at Liberty Union. And it still works. Girls, boys, and/or AAU, he has trained and taught his teams how to perfect it and they have brought in, which helps them be successful. As they say, “defense wins championships”. Well, he has them. Coaches have asked him to come to their practice, as well as can they sit in his practice, to try and learn this defense.

WGGBA

David Jr. was playing for a rec team in Hilliard, Ohio, in 2008.  As Coach does with all his kids, he went to go support him.  As he sat there, he was beginning to get frustrated.  Substitution every 3 minutes cannot steal the ball, the coach was yelling at David Jr. to pass the ball even when he was open, and it just seems like it was one thing after another.  What made it worse was, the game was close, and it was the last 3 minutes of the game, but it was David Jr.’s turn to sit out.  Wow…So as they left the game Coach Dennis said to his son, “never again.  I will coach you and we will form our own team”.  And that is how Who Got Game got started.  The actual phrase Who Got Game, came from when Coach was at Liberty Union, he did a 3 on 3 fundraisers, and named it “Who Got Game 3 on 3”.  Ever since then, he has used that phrase.  

WGGBA since then has grown to become one of the best AAU programs in central Ohio.  In 2011, they were good enough to compete outside of Columbus, so they began to travel.  Throughout those years they traveled to Wisconsin, Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, just to name a few.  They competed at an extremely high level.  In 2013 they signed up to compete in the AAU national championship, D3, in Virginia.  It was some of the top players and teams competing for the title.  WGGBA walked away, after 4 long days, as NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.  What a moment for the boys and Coach Dennis.  A little unknown program, just put together 5 years ago, crown national champions. They also finished the season, ranked #2 in the country.

The following year, they moved up to D2 because of their success and were invited to some of the top events around.  One of the program’s biggest wins, was when they defeated Team Rose, a nationally ranked powerhouse, sponsored by NBA player Derick Rose, in an event in Cincinnati, Ohio. After that event, they drove to Florida to compete in the AAU national championship, D2.  After 5 long days, they lost in the championship game by 2.  Being a national runner-up is nothing to be ashamed of.   WGGBA is still holding strong and looking to make a difference in young people’s lives.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Coach Dennis has been coaching for 19 years as a head coach, at the high school level.  He started at coaching AAU ball, then got hired to coach boys at Liberty Union, at the 8th-grade level.  The following year, he moved up to be the head coach for the freshmen team.  Then in 2003, he was hired to be the head coach for the girl’s program.  He had never coach girls before, but he was up to the challenge.

The girl’s program was getting better and better every year.  For 3 years straight, they came in second place in their league, considering that they were in next to the last place when the coach took over.  In the 2007/2008 season, they beat the powerful Harvest Prep girls’ team.  That was a big win for LU, which they hope, would prepare them for the tournament.  That year, they made it to the District Championship, where they were to face undefeated Fredericktown.  What a game it was.  The Lions lost in overtime by 2 points, district runner-ups they were crowned.

During his coaching career of 19 years as a head coach, he has accomplished (344 Wins – 113 Loses) and the following records

3 State Titles

1 State Runner-Up

6 Final Four Appearances

6 Regional Championships

8 District Championships

11 Mid-State League Championships (includes 8 straight boys titles)

2 AP Coach of the Year

11 Mid-State League Coach of the Year

2 Central District Coach of the Year

1 Metro Coach of the year

His teams have finished ranked #1 in the state AP poll 4 times.  He has finished ranked in the top 10 in the state 8 times.  The 2014/2015 team was ranked as high as 112th in the country, per MaxPreps.  

Being named Metro Coach of the Year, was a big accomplishment for Coach.   The reason it meant so much, is because it just was not among Division 3 coaches.  This was against all coaches in all divisions. 

OHSAA TOURNAMENT SUCCESS

Coach Dennis has a tournament record of 59-12.  Whenever he wins the district, he always makes it to the states.  Only time it did not happen was once with the girls and 2020 team, when the season was canceled due to Covid.  

Coach Dennis has not lost at the game at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.  

There have been some instant classic games in his career:

• HPS girls vs. Waterford – Shicole Watts hits a 3 to send the game to overtime

• HPS girls vs. Fort Loramie – down 18 points with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

• HPS girls vs. Berlin Hiland – Cheyenne Rose makes 2 free throws to seal the win

• LU girls vs. Fredericktown – missed a 3 at the buzzer to win the game

• HPS boys vs. Africentric – twice

• HPS boys vs. Newark Catholic – at the Ohio State Fairgrounds

• HPS boys vs. Tri-Village – David Jr. misses a ¾ court shot at that buzzer

• HPS boys vs. Africentric – Soul Hines misses a 3 at the buzzer for the win

• HPS boys vs. Lutheran East – Soul Hines does not miss a shot

• HPS boys vs. Purcell Marian 

• HPS boys vs. Worthington Christian – CJ Anthony makes 2 out of 3 free throws to win the game

• HPS boys vs. Bishop Ready – down 8 at halftime

MID STATE LEAGUE – CARDINAL DIVISION

Coach Dennis has been in the MSL for 18 years.  He has won the league title 11 years. Been named coach of the year 11 times.  He is currently on a streak of 8 league titles in a row.

He has a league record of 200-46 in 18 years.

PLAYER HONORS

Coach Dennis’ players have won numerous individual awards:

• Three AP State player of the year

• 3 Central District player of the year

• 3 Mid State League player of the year

• 1 player all Metro team

• 2 player’s score over 1000 points

• 1 player score over 2000 points

• 1 collegiate all – American

• 1 player played professional

• 10 players played collegiate football

• 30+ players named 1st team Mid State League

ACADEMICS A PRIORITY

Coach Dennis emphasizes academic and personal development. Every player must graduate and go to college and/or choose a career to follow. All his players have graduated from high school. His teams averaged 3.2gpa, depending on the year.

PERSONAL

Coach Dennis grew up in Columbus, Ohio, on the north side.  He attended Gladstone Elementary, Dominion Middle School, before graduating from Northland High School.  There he played football for 2 years, starting at QB as a freshman, before hanging that up and concentrating on basketball only.  He played for the legendary coach, Arthur Signore, for 4 years.  He was the team captain during his junior and senior seasons.  Being named 1st team All-City was a big accomplishment for him.  Growing up playing basketball at different parks, to St. Stephens Community Center, and then being named All-City, meant a lot to him and his mom.

Coach went on to play basketball at Tiffin University.  There he lettered 4 years and played a sport no one would imagine.  He played tennis for four years as well, doubles.  Who knew.  He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, minor in Sports Management.  

He began his coaching career in 2001, as the 8th-grade boy’s coach at Liberty Union.  Hired by Dan Johnson, who was the AD, and Whitney Hamilton, who was the boy’s head coach.  After his first year, he was asked to move up with the boys and be the head coach for the freshmen team, which he did.  After 2 successful seasons, he applied to be the head coach of the girl’s program.  He had never coach girls before, what was he doing.  The community loved him and gave him a shot.  

He helped rebuild the program, just like the great Coach Del Barr had it.  “My dream is to have relationships with my players and my former players”, Coach Dennis said.  “I want to make a difference in their lives.  Give them something they never thought they could have or do.  To bring out the best in them.  To give them tools, that would equip them for the world they were walking into.  Not to be their dad, but a big brother, one big family”.  

At Liberty Union is where he met his wife, Nicole (Wyant).  He hired her as an assistant coach in 2004.  Who would have ever thought that this was the beginning of love for these two.  In July 2009, on a cruise ship, the coach proposed to Nicole and she said yes.  They got married on May 1st, 2010, and moved to Canal Winchester.

Coach Dennis was born August 6 and was raised by his mother, Dr. Deborah Dennis.  He has 3 children, David Jr., Amanda, and Devin.  

David Jr. earned his business degree at Nova Southeastern University and played point guard for the legendary coach, Jim Crutchfield, at West Liberty University and Nova.  He had a stellar career.  Earning All American honors, freshmen of the year, newcomer of the year, and all-league honors.  He is also one of two players in NCAA history across all divisions with at least 1800 points, 600 rebounds, 700 assists, and 300 steals, in his career.  He was playing in Germany before COVID.

Amanda is a senior to be at Upper Arlington High School.  She played volleyball and basketball as a freshman.  She has maintained honor roll her first 3 years of school.  Amanda enjoys working to make money, hanging out with friends and family, and playing sports.

Devin is in 4th grade at Harvest Preparatory School.  He has been on Honor Roll every semester.  He has played baseball, football, and basketball.  Devin enjoys video games, sports, food, and hanging with his family.