LEONARDTOWN, Md. – St. Mary’s Ryken is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Veney Sr. as Head Coach of the Boys Basketball Program. Coach Veney brings more than 25 years of experience in basketball, athlete development and mentorship at the professional, collegiate and high school levels.
Keith Veney Boys Basketbal
“If you want to go quick, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together,” says Coach Veney, who quotes an African proverb.
Coach Veney most recently served as a Player Development Coach with the Dallas Mavericks, where he worked with players on individualized development, including shooting, ball-handling, footwork and decision-making. He also collaborated with the Mavericks’ coaching, performance and basketball operations staff and was part of the organization during its run to the NBA Finals.
“Keith brings an exceptional combination of basketball knowledge, player development experience and a genuine commitment to mentoring young people,” said Steve Howes, St. Mary’s Ryken Director of Athletics. “His experience at every level of the game — from high school to professional basketball — will be an incredible asset to our student-athletes. Just as importantly, Keith understands that our responsibility as coaches extends well beyond wins and losses. We are excited about the leadership, energy and vision he will bring to our boys basketball program.”
Coach Veney is the founder and CEO of Shot Doc Nation, LLC, through which he has trained NBA and WNBA players, managed camps, clinics and tournaments, and developed youth basketball programs. He also founded the Keith Veney Leadership Academy, focused on life skills, financial literacy and fitness, and created the She Got Game Classic, a national high school girls basketball tournament.
Coach Veney is also familiar with high school basketball in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. From 2018–2020, he served as Varsity Head Basketball Coach and Student Support Specialist at Bishop McNamara High School, where he coached more than 10 Division I basketball players and supported student-athletes with academic planning and the transition to college.
Prior to coaching, Coach Veney built an accomplished career both on and off the court. He served as a Sports Marketing Business Manager at Nike, working with NBA and WNBA players, agents, general managers, and coaches, and helping to identify and develop professional basketball talent. His work included managing marketing initiatives for NBA players such as Caron Butler, Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh, and Vince Carter.
As a player, Coach Veney competed professionally with the Sacramento Kings and internationally in France, Israel, Poland, Iceland and the Dominican Republic. A standout collegiate player at Marshall University, he remains an NCAA record holder with 15 three-point field goals in a single game and is among the top all-time Division I three-point shooters.
Coach Veney earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Counseling from Marshall University. He is also a Certified Executive Coach through Howard University School of Business/Sherpa Executive Coaching and completed the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports Executive Program at Harvard Business School.
“We look forward to welcoming Coach Veney to the Knight community and seeing the impact his experience and commitment to developing the whole student-athlete will have on our program,” Howes said.
Coach Veney will also be on the SMR staff in the Student Life department and begin his roles immediately.
For more information about the SMR boys basketball program, please contact athletics@smrhs.org or visit www.smrhs.org/athletics.