HAMILTON — The Badin High School boys basketball program has its new head coach.
CJ Fleming will lead the Rams next season as Badin made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
“We are really excited to have CJ lead our boys basketball program,” Badin athletic director Geoff Melzer said. “He has the maturity and presence about him that screams ‘winner.’ He is a high basketball IQ guy, who will help lead our young men on and off the court.”
Fleming succeeds Pat Kreke, who retired following this past season and is a member of the Badin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Fleming is a 2017 La Salle graduate and played at Bellarmine University, where he graduated in 2022 with an undergraduate degree in secondary social studies education and a master’s degree in trauma informed care. He coached the Oak Hills freshman boys basketball team this past season under Mike Price.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be at a program like Badin,” said Fleming, 24, who met with the team on Wednesday. “As someone who comes from a family that has been involved in Catholic school athletics and coaching, coming to a place like Badin, with its academic reputation and athletic success, I’m really happy to be here.”
CJ is the son of former La Salle coach Dan Fleming, who coached the Lancers boys team for 27 seasons. Dan Fleming went 381-175 at La Salle and led the Lancers to titles in 1996 and 2011.
CJ Fleming is a three-time Greater Catholic League South player of the year and averaged 16.1 points a game his senior season, when La Salle went 24-4 before losing to Moeller in the Division I regional finals.
The Rams recently went 6-18, losing their first eight games and 14 out of 15 to start the season. Badin’s last winning season was in 2019-2020 when it went 17-6, under Gerry Weisgerber — who was the last non-Badin graduate to lead the program.
“First and foremost, our guys are going to play hard,” Fleming said. “It all starts with defense — dive on the floor, takes charges and go get the 50-50 balls. All five guys on the court need to be able to guard.”
Melzer said there was a committee of nine who filtered through 10 interviewed applicants for the Badin boys basketball coach position.
“Badin athletic expectations are high, and we’re looking forward to CJ bringing his energy to the program,” Melzer said. “We’re excited to have him, and he’s excited to accept the challenge.”
Fleming, who is in the process of figuring out his coaching staff, will be teaching social studies at Badin in 2023-2024, according to Melzer.
Badin last played La Salle in boys basketball on Feb. 13, 2013 — Fleming’s eighth grade year. The Lancers defeated the Rams 48-25.
“We plan to run the motion offense — do a lot of passing and a lot of cutting,” Fleming addressed the team. “Defense is what gets me fired up. The standard ultimately is that we’re going to win.”
Fleming is married to his wife, Lexy, and the two are expecting their first child in May. He is the current social studies teacher at Delhi Middle School in the Oak Hills district.
