Basketball did more than give Cornelious Nesbit a game to play. It changed the direction of his life.
Growing up in McKeesport, Nesbit’s roots stretched through Harrison Village, Crawford Village and Bailey Avenue. In a community where young people too often lost friends to gun violence, basketball became a place of purpose and possibility.
“I was a solid basketball player, not special, but I was a solid basketball player,” Nesbit said. “A lot of it was just to kind of keep myself off the streets, as well as figuring out what I wanted to do with life and in life.”
That journey took him to CCAC South Campus, where he continued playing and deepened his connection to the game. Eventually, a call from close friend Coach Sam Salih opened a door Nesbit had not expected.
Salih had taken a coaching position at South Fayette and asked Nesbit to join him.
Nesbit was initially skeptical. He knew basketball, but coaching the girls’ game would be new. His familiarity with it came largely through watching players from the Pittsburgh area, including McKeesport legend Swin Cash.
He decided to take the chance.
The rest became a coaching journey spanning nearly two decades as a head coach, with stops at Gateway and Shaler Area, along with the opportunity to coach at the college level beside Coach Eddie Benton Jr. at La Roche College.
Benton became one of Nesbit’s closest friends and mentors, someone he still talks basketball with almost daily.
But when Nesbit reflects on everything he has accomplished, he does not begin with wins, titles or individual accolades.
He begins with relationships.
“I’m most proud of the relationships that I have with former players,” he said. “I still get phone calls and text messages from players from Gateway, where I got my first head coaching job. I still talk to players at South Fayette, players at Shaler and players I’ve coached in AAU basketball. I get invited to weddings and things of that nature.”
Those lasting connections reveal what sits at the center of Nesbit’s coaching philosophy.
“My relationship isn’t transactional. It has to be transformational.”
That philosophy naturally aligns with SLAAM’s mission: Develop the player. Build the person.
In Nesbit’s gym, that begins before the first drill.
There may be music playing during practice. He may ask his players about school, their friends, an upcoming concert or the latest TikTok trend. He wants to understand what is happening in their lives, not just what is happening with their jump shot.
Then it is time to work.
“We’re here to get one percent better,” Nesbit said. “But at the same time, the players have to know that it’s more than basketball.”
For Nesbit, real player development happens when an athlete accomplishes something she once believed she could not do. His job is to help players recognize what is possible and then demand the work required to reach it.
His standards are simple, clear and nonnegotiable.
Work hard. Compete. Be a good teammate.
“Your talent shouldn’t define how hard you work,” he said. “You can miss a million shots. You can dribble the ball off your foot. It’s about how hard you work, how hard you play and how hard you compete.”
Nesbit wants every player he coaches to leave believing more strongly in herself. He wants young women to tune out the voices telling them they are not capable and surround themselves with people who genuinely believe in what they can become.
“I will always inspire you to conquer things that you may not think you can do,” he said. “I want to inspire girls to not listen to the noise on the outside. Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who actually believe in you.”
That belief is rooted in McKeesport.
No matter where basketball takes him, Nesbit carries the foundation given to him by the people in his McKeesport community. It is a foundation built on overcoming obstacles, pursuing goals and accomplishing things others may not believe are possible.
He has worked to pass that foundation to his players and to his own children, showing them through his example what can happen when preparation, perseverance and belief meet opportunity.
Now, Nesbit brings that experience and blueprint into his next chapter at SLAAM.
For SLAAM Director Jamal Woodson, the excitement surrounding Nesbit’s arrival extends far beyond his experience and résumé. It is about adding a coach whose values, relationships and approach to developing young women reflect what SLAAM is working to build.
What excites me most about bringing “Nes” to SLAAM is that he understands what we’re really trying to build here,” Woodson said. “Of course we want to develop great basketball players and win games, but SLAAM has always been bigger than basketball. We want to impact these girls as people and prepare them for life. “Nes” builds real relationships, he holds players accountable, and he genuinely cares about who they become. When you can add somebody with his experience, his reputation and, most importantly, his heart for young women, that makes our entire program better. I’m excited to have him be a part of the SLAAM family… I’m very protective of our culture and who we bring into our family. Cornelious fits what we’re about. He’s going to challenge our girls, believe in them, hold them accountable and help prepare them for more than basketball.
The new environment brings a new challenge. There will be new players and families to meet, new relationships to build and new opportunities to create something special. Nesbit enters that challenge confident in what he has built, but equally ready to learn from the coaches around him and share what his own journey has taught him.
“Everywhere I’ve been, I think I’ve created something special,” Nesbit said. “Bringing that blueprint to SLAAM is something where, hopefully, I learn from some of the coaches and some of the coaches learn from me and the experiences that I bring to the table.”
The location is new. The foundation is not.
It is still McKeesport rooted. Still relationship driven. Still built on hard work, belief and the responsibility to develop more than basketball players.
A new chapter begins. The mission remains transformational.