RI Sports: Jhamal Diggs, Johnston HS Girls Basketball Coach, part 1 – John Cardullo

By John Cardullo, sportswriter

Photo: Johnston’s new girls head coach, Jhamal Diggs bring the Lady racing into the RIIL Play-offs as the number one seed. (Provided by Diggs)

Part 1:

It was in Autumn of 2023 when Justin Erickson, the Athletic Director of the Johnston School Department made the introduction of veteran coach Jhamal Diggs as the new girls’ basketball coach. Little did anyone know at the time, that that announcement would change the program immediately.

Diggs who began his coaching career as both the girls’ basketball and volleyball coach of Times Square Academy in Providence, knew that coaching was his dream since he was playing sports in his younger days, growing up outside Washington, D.C.  It was at Quince Orchard High School where Diggs became a 3-sport athlete playing Football, Basketball and Volleyball. After graduation he went on to play college basketball for Johnson & Wales University at their campus in Denver, CO. Diggs played at JWU in Denver for two seasons, then he decided to take a year off. He went back to JWU after his break, however, instead of going back to Colorado, he decided to transfer to the JWU campus in Providence. It was there he completed his final two seasons of eligibility in Rhode Island. “I had too many things going on, and I needed a break to sort out my future direction.” Diggs said. “When I came to Rhode Island from Denver, I fell in love with the state, the compact area, and the opportunities that were here.”

Diggs was studying Business Marketing at JWU, but he would go on to working with people in a group home who needed assistance. But he also soon caught the coaching bug. “Working with people and coaching, too, is close and it felt natural to me to be part of both worlds,” he said. Diggs launched his coaching career when he took on the girls’ basketball team and the boys’ volleyball teams at Times Square academy in the 2017-18 season. His teams improved each year under his leadership. After his first season at Times Square, he learned that the girls’ team at Cranston East was looking for a new coach. “I looked at the East situation hard. It was a larger school, playing in the top division in the state. That was appealing to me; I saw the move as a challenge.”  

His first season at the helm of Cranston East was the season of 2019; his second season the world was in the grip of the Covid-19 crisis, and the basketball season was reduced to 14 games. The Cranston East team went 5-4 in league play, and 6-8 overall. The team went on a 5-game win streak, making them eligible to reach the divisional playoff. They played well enough to slide into the State Championship tournament. Diggs was also tapped to coach the Boys’ Volleyball team after the sudden and unexpected death of Cranston East’s coach Meghan McGonagall. His coaching dance card became even more crowded when he took on coaching the Girls’ Volleyball team at LaSalle Academy the next season.

For Diggs and the Cranston East basketball team saw the 2021-22 season record improving to 13-10 as the Ladybolts make the play-offs. Going from Girls Volleyball to Girls Basketball, back to Boys Volleyball kept Diggs hopping. It was in the off season when Diggs was made an offer that he couldn’t refuse.

The Rhode Island College Women’s Basketball team approached Diggs about becoming their new assistant basketball coach. “I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. To go to the college level was a dream come true for me. Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to the Cranston East girls’ team, but I was able to stay on as the volleyball coach of both LaSalle and Cranston East. I was excited for my next journey at the college level.”

At RIC the team played well making the end of the season tournament, but Diggs discovered that there were aspects of being at the college level that he didn’t expect. “At that level, where the Head Coach wants the team to go in a certain direction, I found that for me to go all-in was going to take more of a sacrifice than I thought.” After weighing all his options, he and RIC decided to mutually part ways. In a strange twist of fate, the RIC position that he had vacated was filled by the then Johnston Girls head Basketball coach, Megan Reall. Justin Erickson was the new Athletic Director in Johnston, and knew Diggs from his days as the Assistant Athletic Director of Cranston and Diggs was coaching. Erickson encourage Diggs to submit his name for consideration for the Panthers head girls’ Basketball coach.

All that Coach Diggs has done so far in his first season was to lead his team to the Rhode Island Interscholastic Division IV championship with a 17-1 record (19-4 overall). Being seeded in the number one position as the Lady Panthers head into the state play-offs. As for Diggs, his coaching cycle of success continues both on the basketball court and volleyball court. The future seems to remain very bright for Coach Diggs, as far as his plans for the Johnston girls team is, “I want not just to coach a team; I want to build a program!”

In part 2 of this story, we will introduce you to the Lady Panthers as we follow them into the State Play-offs.

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