POPLARVILLE, Miss. – Pearl River head basketball coach Chris Oney rounded out his coaching staff with the hire of former Hutchinson Community College coach TyReece Berry.
Berry comes to The River after helping lead the Hutch Blue Dragons to 46 wins the past two seasons.

“TyReece was a burst of energy on the phone and through his resume. He’s a young coach that is fiery and eager to learn. He loves the game of basketball. Since he’s been here, he’s hit the ground running,” Oney said. “We’ve had more 5:30 a.m. workouts with him than ever before. He’s stepped right in and filled another piece of our puzzle.”

Oney announced Berry’s hire on Thursday.

“I appreciate Pearl River and Coach Oney giving me this opportunity to do what I love to do and help me become a better man and a better coach,” Berry said. “This is a huge opportunity to be part of a big-time program at the JUCO level and being able to work with a coach like Coach Oney, a Coach of the Year. I am trying to get better with all aspects of coaching, on and off the court.”

COACHING CAREER
Berry spent the past two seasons as a member of Coach Tommy Desalm’s staff at Hutchinson Community College. Berry’s roles with the Blue Dragon’s included recruiting and conditioning. He also helped with leading practice and preparing game plans. During his two years at Hutchinson, the Blue Dragon’s won 46 games and played in the Region VI tournament in 2022 and 2023. They advanced to the second round of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament.

PLAYING CAREER
Berry was a two-year starter and team captain at York College in York, Nebraska. He averaged 7.2 points and 1.6 assists per game in his two years at York.

Berry began his college playing career at Independence Community College. He was a two-year starter and was recognized as the Most Valuable Player after the 2019 season.

“Him being a JUCO guy made a big difference. I’ve told him that he needs to talk to the guys a lot since he knows the JUCO grind. He understands it,” Oney said. “He’s not too far removed from playing. He has a bright future in this profession and I’m excited that he trusted me to be part of it. 

EDUCATION
Berry earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports Management from York College. He also earned Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees from Independence.