Staff Bios

Eric Farrell brings over two decades of coaching experience at every level of basketball, from youth and high school to NCAA Division I. He has earned a reputation for being part of top-level teams and culture-rich programs. His coaching journey began in the high school ranks (2003–2007), before serving on staff at the University of Dayton from 2007–2015. There he contributed to 187 wins, six NCAA Tournament victories, the 2010 NIT Championship, and the program's legendary run to the 2014 Elite Eight. During that time, he also coached and supported the development of five future NBA players.

Since 2015, Eric has focused on youth basketball. He leads Centerville Hustle teams (grades 3–8, 2016–present) and Collins Lodge's Flying Eagles program (2018–present). He now serves as Executive Director of the South Dayton Knights.

Eric's leadership philosophy is built around an “All In” approach: high standards on and off the court, team-first accountability, and athletes who carry themselves with discipline, truth, and respect. His mission is to ensure that every player, regardless of ability or background, has the structure, coaching, and resources needed to thrive in competitive basketball.

Colin Crotty has coached with the South Dayton Knights since 2020. Previously Colin has held coaching positions outside the Dayton area. He is the only coach in SDK who has coached teams in all three divisions of the Dayton Metro League — Division I, Division II, and Division III. Colin currently serves as the Co-Director of Junior High, and will be assisting the Middle School staff through the 2026–27 season.

Professionally, Colin is CEO and Managing Partner at Hyperquake, where his work centers on strategic vision, business growth, and built environments — focusing on how a company moves people in order to move product. His stated guiding principle is that truth should never be complicated or difficult.

He and his wife, Emily, have three children. His oldest, Kendall, graduated from Alter in 2026. His middle daughter, Cameron, will be part of the Alter graduating Class of 2028. His youngest, Caleb (Alter H.S. Class of 2032), has been with the SDK program since 2nd grade.

Matt Farrell has spent the last 25+ years coaching basketball at all levels across the Dayton region, the Midwest, and at a national level. Before joining the coaching staff at the University of Dayton in 2006, Matt spent five years in the high school ranks. He coached in the greater Dayton area and on the national circuit, with nationally ranked spring and summer programs. After leaving college basketball for new professional opportunities, Matt stayed active in select grade school basketball and in the recreation and youth basketball community.

Still today Matt stays close to college athletics. He advises the Athletic Director at the University of Dayton. He also leads Dayton 6th, the NIL collective for the Flyers men's basketball program.

Matt has coached, developed, and trained 30+ professional basketball players including more than a half dozen who played in the NBA.

His philosophy as a coach is rooted in teaching the game in a way that scales to all levels with a focus on individual development and teamwork.

Jack Hilgeman is a lifelong Daytonian and graduate of Archbishop Alter High School, where he played basketball in the early 2000s under Hall of Fame basketball coach Joe Petrocelli. As a player, Jack attended national invitational basketball camps and played on AAU teams that traveled the region. In his early college years, he competed in college and semi-professional summer leagues. Most recently, he coached in the summer AAU circuit with Dayton Metro AAU.

Jack began coaching with SDK in 2024 and joined the Board in 2025. His coaching philosophy is centered on accountability, discipline, and basketball IQ. Jack believes the strongest teams share the ball offensively, communicate defensively, and play with great energy at all times. Most importantly, he takes pride in developing not only better basketball players on the court, but young men of character off the court.

Professionally, Jack has been a trial lawyer for more than 15 years and is the owner of a small law firm in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated with Honors from the University of Cincinnati and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton. Jack has been married to his wife, Danielle, for twelve years, and they have two sons, Reis and Charlie, who both play basketball in the SDK organization.

For Jack, coaching provides an opportunity to share his passion for the game while helping build the next generation of the Alter community.

Krista Henehan is proud to bring her lifelong love of basketball and youth mentorship to the South Dayton Knights board. A Dayton native, Krista is an alumna of Archbishop Alter High School, where she played for legendary coach Christina Hart — one of the most decorated coaches in Ohio girls basketball history, with multiple state championships and hundreds of career wins — serving as team captain her junior and senior seasons.

While earning her degree at The Ohio State University, Krista stayed connected to the game as an assistant coach for the Bexley girls varsity basketball team. After graduating, she returned to her alma mater to coach the Alter girls JV team for two years before relocating to Colorado, where she led operations for USA Climbing, helping build confidence in young athletes through sport on the national and international stage.

Today, Krista is a Senior Partner and Director of Flight at The Connor Group, a privately held real estate investment firm based in the Dayton area.

Krista and her husband, John, both Alter graduates, live locally with their two sons, JJ and Mac, who are active in the SDK program. Through her role on the board, Krista is excited to share her passion for the game, help build confidence through sport, and give back to a community that has shaped so much of her personal and professional success.

Nate Burger is a graduate of Archbishop Alter High School (Class of 2014), where he played basketball before continuing his career at Ohio Northern University. At ONU, Nate was a four-year letter winner, playing from 2014 to 2018. (While there, Nate set the single-season scoring record his senior year.)

Nate serves as CFO for the South Dayton Knights, in a volunteer capacity. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting with a minor in entrepreneurship, and a master's in accounting (2019), both from Ohio Northern. He began his career in public accounting before founding D3 Financials LLC in 2022.

Beyond the office and beyond SDK, Nate has supported non-profit causes including volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and Homefull. He is passionate about South Dayton Knights, bringing an Alter basketball background, great financial oversight, and an entrepreneurial perspective to the program.

Eric Farrell brings over two decades of coaching experience at every level of basketball, from youth and high school to NCAA Division I. He has earned a reputation for being part of top-level teams and culture-rich programs. His coaching journey began in the high school ranks (2003–2007), before serving on staff at the University of Dayton from 2007–2015. There he contributed to 187 wins, six NCAA Tournament victories, the 2010 NIT Championship, and the program's legendary run to the 2014 Elite Eight. During that time, he also coached and supported the development of five future NBA players.

Since 2015, Eric has focused on youth basketball. He leads Centerville Hustle teams (grades 3–8, 2016–present) and Collins Lodge's Flying Eagles program (2018–present). He now serves as Executive Director of the South Dayton Knights.

Eric's leadership philosophy is built around an “All In” approach: high standards on and off the court, team-first accountability, and athletes who carry themselves with discipline, truth, and respect. His mission is to ensure that every player, regardless of ability or background, has the structure, coaching, and resources needed to thrive in competitive basketball.

Colin Crotty has coached with the South Dayton Knights since 2020. Previously Colin has held coaching positions outside the Dayton area. He is the only coach in SDK who has coached teams in all three divisions of the Dayton Metro League — Division I, Division II, and Division III. Colin currently serves as the Co-Director of Junior High, and will be assisting the Middle School staff through the 2026–27 season.

Professionally, Colin is CEO and Managing Partner at Hyperquake, where his work centers on strategic vision, business growth, and built environments — focusing on how a company moves people in order to move product. His stated guiding principle is that truth should never be complicated or difficult.

He and his wife, Emily, have three children. His oldest, Kendall, graduated from Alter in 2026. His middle daughter, Cameron, will be part of the Alter graduating Class of 2028. His youngest, Caleb (Alter H.S. Class of 2032), has been with the SDK program since 2nd grade.

Mike grew up in Middletown, Ohio, where he played high school basketball before transferring to finish locally at The Miami Valley School. He finished his education at Butler University and the University of Dayton School of Law. He has been involved in basketball in the twenty years since — including regular Saturday morning pickup games at Butler alongside college coaching great and Boston Celtics executive Brad Stevens.

Mike has coached through The Miami Valley School varsity program as well as the middle school level. Within SDK he has coached for over nine seasons. Seven years ago he created the Ignite spring/summer 3SSB Jr basketball program to expand the SDK brand.

Mike's oldest son graduated from Alter in the Class of 2026 and now studies at Miami University. His middle son is a junior at Alter. His youngest is a freshman, playing on the Alter boys basketball team. His passion is the connection between the SDK program and Alter High School basketball. He develops players at the middle school level for the best transition to high school hoops.

Kenny Sullivan is a dedicated basketball coach with over 12 years of experience. A former high school and college player himself, Kenny has coached at multiple levels—from freshmen to varsity—at both Alter High School and Kettering Fairmont High School. Currently, he serves as an 8th-grade coach for the South Dayton Knights (SDK). Kenny coached the SDK 6th-grade team in 2024, continuing his commitment to player development at every level.

Kenny's coaching philosophy was sparked by a powerful comment his father once made: “Kenny wouldn't play for himself.” That moment reshaped his focus, fostering a love for the game, building confidence, and creating an environment where kids of all levels are supported and set up for success.

Off the court, Kenny is an Account Executive at Think Patented, where he's been a team member for eight years. He lives in Kettering with his wife of 14 years, Emily, and their two children—Finley, who plays SDK basketball as part of the Class of 2031, and Laine, who's active in basketball, soccer, volleyball, triathlons, and more.