Cornelius Hester joins the Tiffin University men's basketball staff as an Assistant Coach after serving three seasons as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Director at Owens Community College.
During his tenure with the Express, Hester played a pivotal role in helping lead the program to back-to-back NJCAA Region XII Championships, marking the first time in more than a decade that Owens achieved consecutive regional titles. As Recruiting Director, Hester assembled one of the program's most successful recruiting classes in recent history. His 2025-26 class included Gardayee Walker, Owens' first OCCAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Maceo Harper, who earned First Team All-OCCAC honors—the program's first First Team All-Conference selection since 2017.
Before Owens, Hester spent six seasons at NCAA Division III Defiance College. He began as the program's Recruiting Assistant before serving five seasons as an Assistant Coach, including a three-month stint as Acting Head Coach. During his time at Defiance, he helped recruit and develop numerous All-Conference players, including a standout who transferred to NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois University and became a starter and key contributor.
Hester brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to Tiffin. He began his coaching career in the Defiance City youth basketball program before joining the staff at Defiance High School, where he served as Freshman Head Coach and later Varsity Assistant Coach under future Ohio High School Basketball Hall of Fame coach Kirk Lehman. During that time, the Bulldogs captured three Western Buckeye League championships along with multiple sectional and district titles.
Away from the collegiate game, Hester is the founder and director of Ohio Reign Phenom, one of Northwest Ohio's premier AAU basketball programs. Competing on the nationally recognized Phenom United Adidas 3SSB platform, the program has helped numerous student-athletes earn college opportunities while emphasizing player development, academics, and character.
A graduate of Defiance High School and former varsity letterwinner, Hester attended the University of Toledo before transferring to Trine University (formerly Tri-State University), where he studied Business Administration and continued his basketball career.
In addition to coaching, Hester is a successful entrepreneur and community leader. He has owned and operated Custom Tees & Apparel in Defiance, Ohio, since 2006 and has spent more than two decades serving the community through youth basketball camps, clinics, and volunteer work with the Defiance YMCA.
Hester is the proud father of three children. His daughter, Breanna, earned her bachelor's degree from Ohio Northern University and a master's degree in accounting from Tiffin University before beginning her career as an accountant with Nestlé. His son, Cornelius Hester II, is a sales representative with PepsiCo, and his youngest daughter, Faith, is currently pursuing her academic and athletic goals.
7/29/2026
