Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff
John Pigatti — Head Coach
Coach Pigatti is in his 20th season as head coach of the Bulldogs and has accumulated a tremendous career coaching record of 545-105 (.838). His 2023-24 team finished 34-3 and were the National Runners-Up. His 2021-22 team won the National Championship while being undefeated (33-0). They are the only team in history to be undefeated and win a national championship on the NJCAA Division II level. Pigatti was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2-Year National College Coach-of-the-Year. Pigatti was named to the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame in 2023.
Pigatti’s record in the post season is 73-20. 13 of his teams have won regional championships and qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament. He has had three straight National Players-of-the-Year: Damarco Minor (’22), Deshawndre Washington (’21), Courtney Carter (’20). No other college basketball coach has accomplished that feat. He has had three other National Players-of-the-Year: Jemel Jones (2024), Jovan Mooring (2016), and Michael Harris (2013). 44 of Coach Pigatti’s players were selected All Region IV Players, and 15 Region IV Players of the Year. He has had 15 First Team All-Americans and 19 total All Americans during his 19 seasons at SSC.
His Bulldogs are only team in the country that has qualified for the National Tournament 13 times in the last 19 seasons. South Suburban has the most wins in the history of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. They have placed at the end of the Tournament 11 times, finishing 3rd three of those times. The 2019-20 team qualified for the National Championship Tournament, but due to COVID-19 the tournament was canceled.
Coach Pigatti has set numerous records as a head coach. He is the only coach in college basketball history: NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA; that has had nine 1st Team All-Americans in his first 11 years as a head coach. He has won 13 Region IV Championships. His teams have been ranked #1 in the country on numerous occasions. For the first time in SSC’s history, they appeared in three straight NJCAA Division II National Championships: 2007-’09, 2011-2014 and 2016-2018, 2020-’22. He has had 9 teams finish with 30+ wins in his 19 years as a head coach. His teams have been ranked in the top ten every season since he has been at South Suburban College.
Coach also knows how to win on his home court, too. He has complied at 301-19 (.94) home record during his 19 seasons at South Suburban College, nine of his teams have gone undefeated at home during the season. He has had a 65-home game winning streak.
More importantly, the sophomores Pigatti recruited sign a scholarship to play at a four-year college or university. 104 players in 19 years have gone on to 4-year institutions. 15 were selected 1st Team All-Americans: Jemel Jones (’24), Nakyel Shelton (’23), Damarco Monor (’22), Deshawndre Washington (’21), Courtney Carter (’20), Rhyss Lewis (‘19), Rasheide Bell (‘17), Jovan Mooring (’16), Lavell Boyd (’15), Antonio Levy (’14), Michael Harris (’13), James Harris (’11), Tremell Adams (’10) Nick Carey (’09), and Kris Harris (’07). He also has had 13 MVP’s of the Regional IV Tournament: Jemel Jones (’24), Damarco Minor (’22), Deshawndre Washington (“21), Courtney Carter (’20), Jordan Matthews (‘18), Rasheide Bell (’17), Jovan Mooring (’16), Antonio Levy (’14), Michael Harris (‘13 & ‘12) Bradley Birton (’09), Larry Swann (’08), and Kris Harris (’07).
Coach Pigatti came to SSC from St. Francis University in Loretto, PA where he was the head assistant men’s basketball coach and recruiting coordinator. At St. Francis, Pigatti was an integral part of signing the number one recruiting class in the Northeast Conference. In addition, the 2004-05 season record was the schools’ best in 8 years. During the 2003-04 season, Pigatti helped Kent State to a 22-9 final record, a Mid-American Conference (MAC) Eastern Division championship and a berth in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
Prior to his one-year stint at Kent State, Pigatti served as an assistant coach at Elmhurst College-IL (1987-89), Creighton University (1989-91), Texas A&M University (1991-92), Western Michigan University (1992-94), Saint Joseph’s College-IN (1994-95), the University of Akron (1995-01), and Chicago State University (2002-03).
During Pigatti’s tenure as an assistant at Akron, the Zips captured the most MAC wins for any team in the league from 1997-01, including a MAC Eastern Division title in 1998. He helped recruit two Mr. Basketball award winners, and Jimmal Ball, who was voted one of the top 15 freshman players in the country by USA today and ESPN. At Creighton University, he helped lead the Blue Jays to back-to-back 20-win seasons. Creighton also won the MVC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tourney. He also has been the head coach of the Five Star Basketball Camp, where he instructed several top 100 high school players in the country who now play in the NBA. He has instructed at many basketball camps and clinics around the country and abroad.
A 1985 graduate of the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Pigatti earned a master’s degree of business administration from Creighton in 1993. He served as President of the National Assistant Basketball Coaches Committee for six years (1996-01).
Pigatti and his wife, Kimberly, have a daughter Ashley Jo, and a son, Andrew John.
Awards, Honors, & Certifications:
Region IV Hall of Fame: 2023
Region IV Coach of the Year: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
District Coach of the Year: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
College Insider’s Jack Bennet Man-of-the-Year: 2017
Member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Von Dukes — Assistant Coach
Coach Dukes is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs this season after six seasons as a manager and a graduate assistant for UIC. During his tenure as a graduate assistant, Dukes was responsible for film breakdown, on-court development, and assisting daily operations of a Division I program.
Coach Dukes served a summer stint with Southern Utah University as a special assistant to the head coach under coach Todd Simons. He was primarily responsible for on-court development, assisting daily operations, and film breakdown before returning to UIC.
A 2022 graduate of the University Of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Dukes received a master’s degree in education from UIC in 2024.
Gregory Fleming — Assistant Coach
2025–2026 marks Coach Gregory Fleming’s first year as an assistant coach at South Suburban College. Fleming joined South Suburban after a successful season at Morton College (2024–2025), where he helped guide the Panthers to a 20–11 overall record and a Skyway Conference Championship.
Before Morton, Fleming made his mark at the high school and AAU levels. He served as the Head Varsity Coach at Clemente High School (2021–2022) and also led the Chicago Demons AAU program, coaching 3rd–5th graders, including three players ranked among the top prospects in the Class of 2030. He began his coaching career at Clemente as the JV Head Coach (2020–2021), posting a 5–3 conference record in the COVID-shortened season, and earlier as a Varsity Assistant Coach (2019–2020), where the team finished 17–12, advancing to the IHSA Regional playoffs.
As a player, Fleming competed at the collegiate level across multiple programs. Lourdes University (2015–2017) Grand Rapids Community College (2014–2015): Appeared in 29 games with 18 starts, averaging 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, earning MCCAA Honorable Mention and All-Defensive Team honors. University of Wisconsin–Marinette (2013–2014): Started all 17 games, averaging 18.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, named All-Conference, All-Defensive Team, and Honorable Mention.
A native of Chicago, Fleming was a three-year letterwinner at the prep level, earning All-Section and All-City League honors while also competing in baseball. Greg is the son of Gregory Fleming Sr. and Rose Malone. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Nina Hatter, and together they have four children: Gregory III, Greyson, Gram, and Nomi.
Jeremiah Wilson — Assistant Coach
Jeremiah Wilson, in his first year as an assistant coach at South Suburban College, is a from Chicago’s Hyde Park. He built a standout career from high school to a 14-year professional journey across 20+ countries. A 2006 Hyde Park High School graduate, he starred at Casper College (First-Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention All-American) before transferring to Tarleton State, where he earned All-Conference honors and led the Texans to the 2010 NCAA DII Sweet 16.
Professionally, Wilson became an Australian NBL1 Champion & Finals MVP, a 3× Portugal Cup Champion, Portugal League Champion, and a Rebounding Leader in France, Italy, Greece, and Qatar. He also represented Portugal’s National Team in the FIBA World Cup and European Qualifiers, collecting multiple All-League and All-Defensive Team honors across Europe, Asia, and South America.
Wilson graduated from Tarleton State University with Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. He is married to Javonna, and has a daughter named Arielle.
Elijah Muhammed Cunningham — Strength & Conditioning Coach
Elijah, also known as “EZ,” was born in Columbus, Ohio, and played basketball at Beechcroft High School. He was a student-athlete at South Suburban College from 2006 to 2008, where his Bulldogs basketball teams won NJCAA Region IV Championships and placed seventh and fifth at the NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament.
After SSC, Elijah played two seasons (2008–2010) at NCAA Division I Tennessee Technological University. He completed his college basketball career at Tennessee Tech and went on to pursue a career in cross fitness, strength, and conditioning. Elijah graduated with a degree in Exercise Science and Interdisciplinary Studies and was recognized as a Strength & Conditioning All-American Athlete. Immediately after graduation, he became a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Tennessee Tech men’s and women’s basketball, tennis, golf, and track & field programs. It was during this time that Elijah was introduced to CrossFit. He began competing in 2010 and qualified for the CrossFit Games in 2015, earning the title of 16th Fittest Man on Earth. He later qualified again in 2017 and 2024.
Along his journey, Elijah created “Lift Heavy Often,” a weightlifting seminar series focused on teaching Olympic lifting techniques. He also founded a nonprofit organization called “Project Onyx,” which teaches young Black and Brown youth the importance of fitness, health, and wellness. Elijah began his role as the Strength & Conditioning Coach at South Suburban College in 2025. He continues to maintain his athleticism as a basketball player with the Windy City Inferno semi-pro team. Elijah is also a proud father of four and resides in Crown Point, Indiana.