Owens

Cornelius Hester comes to Owen’s after six season at Division III Defiance College. After one season as recruiting assistant and five Asst. Coach and three months as acting Head Coach. In his forementioned seasons as an assistant men’s basketball coach and recruiting assistant , Coach Hester recruited numerous all-conference players and one of his recruits advanced to Divison 1 Eastern Illinois men’s basketball where he earn a huge and starting role.

Hester started his coaching career more than 20 years ago in the Defiance youth basketball program where he served as the junior high coach and freshman head coach. He would later go on and work at his alma mater, Defiance High School, under future hall-of-fame coach Kirk Lehman. During Hester’s time at DHS, he helped lead the boy’s program to three Western Buckeye League championships, along with numerous sectional and district titles.

Hester is also the founder and director of the Ohio Reign AAU basketball team, which is one of the premiere AAU programs in northwest Ohio.

After graduating from Defiance and earning his varsity letter on the basketball team, Hester went on to attend the University of Toledo for one year before transferring to Tri-State University (now Trine University), majoring in business administration.

Hester is currently the owner of Custom Tees & Apparel, a retail store located in Defiance since 2006. With almost 17 years as a small business owner, Hester is respected in the Defiance community, volunteering his time at the Defiance YMCA for numerous basketball camps and clinics.

Hester has three kids. Breanna graduated from Ohio Northern University and received her master’s degree in accounting at Tiffin University while Cornelius Hester II is finishing his bachelor’s at Purdue University Fort Wayne, majoring in business administration. He also has a younger daughter, Faith Hester.