Cooper Handelsman - Men's Basketball Coach - George Washington University Athletics

Cooper Handelsman

Title:
Director of Basketball Operations
Email:
chandelsman@gwu.edu
Phone:
994-0339

Cooper Handelsman was named GW's first General Manager of Basketball in August 24. In his role, Handelsman will support both Men's Basketball Head Coach Chris Caputo and Women's Basketball Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan in managing responsibilities that impact both programs, serving as primary liaison between the Department and other key campus areas, including opportunities and relationship and community building, leadership development, and experiential marketing in partnership with University Advancement.

The position, which reports directly to the Director of Athletics, works with Athletic Development and Corporate Partnerships to enhance NIL opportunities and serves as the primary point of contact with all revenue generation units on campus to build high-quality experiences for student-athletes and fans alike. Handelsman will also represent the programs as the point of contact for all capital projects.

Handelsman joined the GW basketball staff as the Director of Basketball Operations in April 2022 and was elevated to an Assistant Coach role prior to the 2023-24 season. In his coaching capacity, Handelsman has helped in preparation for late game situations and special situations.

Handelsman spent the previous three years as an assistant coach at Brown under head coach Mike Martin. Under Handelsman's guidance, Jaylan Gainey was twice named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and Kino Lilly Jr. earned Rookie of the Year honors this past season.

Prior to his time at Brown, Handelsman spent three years as the Director of Hoop Group Elite, where he was responsible for recruiting over 3,000 student-athletes to Hoop Group Elite Camps each summer. He also established and grew the Chicago-based Elite Camps and Tournaments and promoted a platform to showcase student-athletes during live recruiting periods.

Handelsman began his coaching career as a video coordinator for one season at Lehigh in 2015, managing all video-related operations, including game, scouting, practice and recruiting film.

Handelsman graduated from Kenyon College in 2015 with a degree in Economics while also shining on the court. During his career, he twice set the program's single-game assist record and was named a team captain as a senior.