ABOUT KEYSTONE KARMA PREMIER: STAFF
Phil Odom
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Phil has been coaching basketball for more than 25 years. He is currently the seventh-grade boys basketball coach and eighth grade girls basketball coach at Our Lady of Peace School in Clarks Summit, a role he has had since 1997. In this time, he has led his Girls team to the Diocesan Championship 4 times. His team took 3rd place in the PA State Competition in 2009-10. In addition to coaching these Jr High teams, Phil has been coaching Keystone Karma AAU since starting the team in 2005. In this role, he has helped to develop the talent of 1 Professional Basketball Player, 8 NCAA Division I players, 10 NCAA Division II players, and countless NCAA Division III players. He also has shared his experience as a Scranton Preparatory Girls Varsity Assistant and University of Scranton Men’s Basketball Assistant.
In 2011, Phil was inducted into the Keystone College Hall of Fame. Phil currently holds the record for the most assists in a season at Keystone, compiling 322 during the 1991-92 season and 296 in the 1990-91 campaign, which rank first and second all-time. His career total of 618
is also the program record. He also holds the second and third slots for most assists in a game, dishing out 17 on March 3, 1991 and 16 on January 24th of that same year. He finished his career with an astounding 10.9apg average. He is also the all-time steals leader at the College, recording 278, which included a 180 during the 1990-91 campaign, the most ever for a single season.
A former team captain and MVP of the Giants, Phil was also an Academic All-American and two-time Regional All American Team Player. After earning his Associates degree in Liberal Arts at Keystone, he went on to play for the University of Scranton where he continued to lead his team in steals and assists. He finished his collegiate career with an astonishing 849 assists and 352 steals. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton in 1995.
Despite all of his accomplishments as a basketball coach and player, Phil may be known best known for his efforts and involvement off the basketball court. He has served as Director of Youth Enrichment with the Scranton School District since 2001. In this role he provides counseling and assistance to at risk students and their families; serves as a mentor for the Teenage Fatherhood Initiative Program; assists students and their families with finding community resources to address their needs in the areas of financial, mental health or legal matters.
He has organized and facilitated an Annual Men’s Basketball Tournament “Let’s Hoop Out,” where the proceeds provide needy families with Thanksgiving Dinners. The 2019 tournament was the 20th consecutive year of this worthwhile endeavor. He has also served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of America; St. Joseph’s Center -Maternity and Family Services; Girl Scouts of America Lackawanna County and the Commissioner’s Minority Council.
His hard work, dedication and commitment has not gone unnoticed, having earned numerous accolades, including: “Champion of Youth” Award, given by the Boys and Girls Club of America- April 2000; “Dr. Ada Belton Leading Light” Award- January 2003 given by The African American Arts Alliance and Florence Midtown Crime Watch, “Night Of Helping Hands” Award - March 2007.
John Jezorwski
John has been coaching youth and school basketball for 30 years. His school coaching career includes 3 years as the Girls JV Coach and Assistant Varsity Coach at West Scranton High School, 6 years as the 8th grade Girls Basketball Coach at St Paul’s and he is now in his 4th year as the Head Varsity Coach at Holy Redeemer High School. While at St Paul’s, his teams won the Diocesan Championship 4 out of 6 years. In his 3 complete seasons with Holy Redeemer, he’s been named Wyoming Valley Conference Coach of the year for 2 years (2017-18 and 2018-19) as well as Citizens Voice Coach of the Year (2017-18) and Times Leader Coach of the Year (2018-19). He led Holy Redeemer to District Champion title in 2016-17, District Runner-up in 2018-19, and the team’s first ever Wyoming Valley Conference Championship in 2018-19. In his three seasons with Holy Redeemer, John has twice coached the Citizen’s Voice Player of the Year (Sam Yencha 2018, Julia Andrejko 2019).
Prior to his school ball coaching career, John coached Biddy basketball at both St Ann’s and Holy Cross. He played basketball at Lackawanna College and West Scranton High School prior to coaching.