2018
Montana Tech University Press Release
Montana Standard News Release
Santa Maria Times / Lompoc Record News Release
Former Cabrillo and Hancock College basketball standout Sherman Vernon inducted into
Montana Tech's Hall of Fame
Montana Standard News Release
Montana Standard News Release
A Cabrillo and Hancock College basketball standout is now a Montana Tech Hall of Famer.
Sherman Vernon, who trains athletes at Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Lompoc Valley, was named to the
2018 Hall of Fame Class at his university alma mater: Montana Tech.
Known as 'J-SMOOV' when he’s around the Lompoc Valley or when he trains area athletes, Vernon was part of a
three person class who entered the Orediggers’ Hall class on Sept. 21.
“God has blessed me with the ability, experience, and knowledge to do the work of helping the student-athlete or military athlete of Santa Barbara County to be the best they can be for society, through the vehicle or use of academics and athletics,” Vernon said. “This has been my mission and assignment from God for the last 25-plus years, and I have enjoyed it.”
Vernon played on the hardwood at Montana Tech University (MTU) from 1986-88.
As a senior, Vernon went on to average 19 points, six rebounds and two assists per game – all while leading his team to a
Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championship.
Some of his other accolades during his senior year include winning the university’s Rick Shaw Memorial Most Valuable Player team award, earning Frontier Conference Player of the Year and landing a NAIA Division-I All district 12 First Team, and
NAIA Division I Honorable Mention All-American team selection. He graduated from MTU with a
Bachelors degree in Organizational Management (focus in Society and Technology).
His basketball career continued overseas after suiting up for the Orediggers – with stops
at Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His love for basketball continued after his playing days,
as Vernon went on to coach for the next 20 years from high school to college.
Before starring near the Bozeman Mountains, Vernon was a star guard at CHS under former head coach Glen Abrahamson and a young Dan Duffy Sr. as the assistant.“Duffy was a younger guy at the time – and he was able to connect
with us right away,” Vernon said. “Abrahamson was structured.
We played a push, fast-paced offense but he wanted more ball control at the time.
But then, he decided to allow us to run.”
That philosophy worked as Cabrillo went on to win a league title his senior year before moving on to Hancock College.
And it was at AHC where he met, who he called, his best coach: Bob White.
“He would teach you multiple positions and I learned how to play defense through him,” Vernon said.
Presently, Vernon is yet to put away his coaching hat. He trains area athletes including military personnel at the Vandenberg Air Force Base gym. He takes pride in the fact that 22 different players he trained went on to play collegiately. Some of his past clients include Joel Smith (Lompoc High, University of Washington), Sherman Vernon II (Lompoc High, Air Force Academy & Loyola Marymount), Tatiana Dunlap (St Joseph High, Cal St. San Bernadino), Jordan O’Bryne (Lompoc High, AHC, College of Idaho), Jacari Miller (US Air Force, Biola University), Patrick Graves (US Air Force, Allan Hancock College) Drayten Howell (LHS, Santa Barbara City College, Holy Names University) and
LeAndrew Knight (Cabrillo High, Santa Monica College).
Along with basketball talent, Vernon says he trained Lompoc High 2013 graduate Willie Iribarren through a flexibility class – a standout linebacker for the Braves football team and Hancock College before heading to Humboldt State University,
where he continued his football career.
Lorenzo J. Reyna lreyna@leecentralcoastnews.com
Oct 3, 2018
