HOME OFFICE: Skye Ettin sits in the Princeton University men’s basketball office last week after being named as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations. Ettin, a former Princeton High boys’ hoops star who went on to be three-time captain for The College of New Jersey and graduated from the school this spring with a degree in marketing, is thrilled to be coming home to start his professional career.
(Photo provided courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

Skye Ettin has been around the Princeton University men’s basketball program much of his life.

Growing up just miles from campus, Ettin was a regular participant at the Princeton summer hoops camps, first as a player and then as a counselor.

After an outstanding career for the Princeton High boys’ basketball team that saw him score more than 900 points, Ettin was a three-time captain for The College of New Jersey where he played against Princeton twice at Jadwin Gym.

During his junior year at TCNJ, Ettin started working as an intern in the Princeton men’s basketball office.

Last week, Ettin joined the staff on a full-time basis, getting named as the Director of Basketball Operations.

For Ettin, becoming a member of the Tiger team was a thrilling prospect and an ideal way to start his career.

“I am looking at this as my first step to one day being a head coach,” said Ettin.

“It is the best opportunity in the world for me, it is a dream job. It is hard to put in words.”

Ettin caught the coaching bug at a young age. “It was always something I thought I would do even part time, if I was working at something else,” said Ettin.

“My dad coached me all the way through as a kid. I had coached travel programs with Clarence White and had coached down at the park. I first thought of it as a profession when I broke my foot in my freshman year at Guilford and I wasn’t able to play. I still went to practice everyday and I was watching what the coaches did.”

Transferring from Guilford to TCNJ for the 2011-12 season, Ettin looked to apply some of the lessons he had learned from the sidelines.

“I tried to be a leader on and off the court,” said Ettin, a 6’5, 205-pound forward, who became a team captain in his second season with the program.

“I was in charge of offseason workouts. I made sure guys were on time. I tried to change the culture with the help of some other upperclassmen. We wanted the freshmen to come in and know how hard they would have to work.”

The hard work put in by Ettin and his teammates paid off this winter as the Lions went 15-11 and made the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoffs.

“That was great; I thought we could have done better and gone further in the playoffs, but looking back I am incredibly proud of what we did,” said Ettin, who graduated from TCNJ this spring with a degree in marketing and ended his hoops career with 811 points and a scoring average of 8.4.

“We came into a team that went 4-21 and we made playoffs for the first time since 2008-09 and had a home game for the first time since 2006. We beat ranked teams, William Paterson and Richard Stockton. We finished in the top 3 in the league.”

Ettin became a part of the Princeton hoops team in the spring of 2014 when he began working as a staff intern for the program.

“I started off helping with camps,” said Ettin. “As I got more comfortable with them and they got more comfortable with me, I got more responsibility, from breaking down film and having a greater role running the camps. I sat in on coach’s meetings when they were working on Xs and Os. I saw what they did to prepare recruiting kits. I did that all last spring and all summer and into the fall until my season started. Once my season ended, I came back and was around the office.”

Being around the office helped Ettin land the Director of Operations post.

“About two or three weeks ago, Craig Moore moved on to pursue other things,” said Ettin, referring to his predecessor.

“I found out and I sat down with Mitch (Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson) and he told me what they were looking for. I applied and I was one of the finalists. I then had an interview with Mitch and some other people from the athletic department. I got the job Monday and that is when I started.”

Ettin’s duties in his new role will include organizing the team’s travel and itinerary as well as assisting the coaching staff in-game, coordinating the team’s summer camps, recruiting visits and film exchange.

“I work closely with coach Henderson,” said Ettin. “He is the program, he runs everything. I try to do whatever I can to help him. In the summer I will be focusing on camps, particularly in July when the coaches are on the road. I am in on every meeting and can give input. I can’t do any on-court coaching during the season.”

Coach Henderson, for his part, is looking forward to Ettin’s input. “This is a natural fit for us,” said Henderson, as quoted on the Princeton sports website regarding the hiring of Ettin.

“Skye has been around the program and knows what we like to do. From the first time that I met Skye, I knew he would be good here as he’s got local connections from playing at Princeton High School and a strong work ethic. And having just left the college environment, he also has close ties to the commitment it takes from the guys on a day-to-day basis.”

As he starts his career, Ettin is already showing that strong work ethic. “I am in the office everyday. I try to be the first one in and the last one to leave,” said Ettin, noting that his work day usually begins between 7:30-8:30 a.m. and can end as late as 11:00 p.m.

“I try to soak in everything, how the coaches talk to the recruits and the parents. Coach Henderson and coach (Brian) Earl were such great players here. They see the game differently and I am trying to pick their brains.”

Although Princeton does’t have a game until November, Ettin is already looking forward to his debut campaign.

“I can’t wait for the season to start; I am really excited for the season,” said Ettin.

“We have some great players coming back and some good new players coming in. Coach Henderson really has a vision for the program and I am excited to see how we do.”