Nathan Kim

About Nathan Kim

My name is Nathan Kim, an assistant basketball coach at DME Academy, one of the top sports academies in the U.S, based in Daytona Beach, FL. Currently, I am coaching four teams, three girls\' and one boys\' team, ranging from post-graduates to those at the varsity and junior varsity levels.After graduating from Columbia with a joint major in economics and mathematics, I decided to join DME Academy as a one-year coaching intern this past August. Working with my student-athletes has been incredibly rewarding and eye-opening. First, I have come to appreciate what I had taken for granted during my time at Columbia. Moreover, I learned more about the value of student-athletes who take both academics and athletics seriously: they are generally more coachable and develop at a more accelerated pace, even if they don’t necessarily have the innate athleticism that higher-profile athletes have. Second, I believe institutional support and culture are key to fostering this dual commitment and I believe basketball programs at schools that heavily emphasize academic success embody this.Prior to DME, I spent two seasons as an undergraduate assistant in video & data analytics and as Senior Student Manager for Columbia University’s women’s basketball program. I was fortunate to have learned a great deal about what it takes to build and grow a highly successful mid-major Division I basketball program that was selected into the NCAA Tournament at large for two seasons straight. I often spent around 30 hours per week (in addition to being a full-time student along with establishing and running Club Basketball at Columbia) working closely with the team and the coaching staff; the program’s collective commitment to success and excellence made a lasting impression and sparked my interest in coaching.I am actively exploring a full-time opportunity in assistant coaching or basketball operations and am committed to pursuing a career in the sport. I look forward to taking the next step in my lifelong journey in educating and learning.

Experience

1. Assistant Coach Post-grad Boys National Basketball

   DME Academy

   Aug 2025 — Present · Daytona Beach, FL, US

   2026 Phenom Hoops Post-Grad Nationals Champion.• Guided No. 24-ranked post-grad boys to a 23-8 overall record, ending the season with a 3-3 record against Top 30-ranked teams, a 9-game winning streak, and 4 wins in 3 days en route to the 2026 Phenom Hoops Post-Grad National Championship.• During my tenure, players have notably committed to or received offers from: Pittsburgh (D-I, ACC), Randolph-Macon College ODAC), Occidental College SCIAC), University of New England CNE).• Assisting the head coach with in-game adjustments and statistical analysis.• Supporting my student-athletes during the year-long college recruitment and placement processes; exploring potential destinations based on their academic and athletic ambitions.• Conducting mass outreach to NCAA basketball coaches around the country across all three divisions to put our student-athletes on their radar and invite them to observe our practices.• Creating highlight reels for my student-athletes to showcase their strengths and to facilitate college coaches\' recruiting processes.• Reinforcing and building upon the foundations of my coaching philosophy initially developed at Stanford University.• Outlining budgets, transportation needs, logistics, and itineraries for all road trips.

Education

• Columbia University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Economics-Mathematics