When DJ and Kristland Damazo made the trek to Grinnell from their home state of Pennsylvania three years ago, it was a leap of faith.

That leap has proved fruitful not only for the family, but also for Grinnell College.

The family has ingrained itself into the College as employees of the athletic department. DJ has served as assistant men's basketball coach since 2021 and Kristland began duties as the Pioneers' assistant volleyball coach the following year.

They have become familiar faces around the College and the city, as have their children, Malachi (age 7), Simeon (5), and Josiah (2).

Both graduated from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., in 2013 and eventually worked their way to the eastern part of Pennsylvania. At the University of Valley Forge, DJ served as head men's basketball coach and also worked for the provost, where his duties included planning commencement, writing contracts for 70 faculty members, and being a part of all academic meetings. At the same time, Kristland served as assistant coach for the Valley Forge volleyball team.

But a yearning for new challenges took hold of the young couple. "We had both lived our entire lives in Pennsylvania," DJ says. "We had two boys, and Kristland was pregnant with a third, but we knew we were ready for a different opportunity. As we got further into the process of looking, Grinnell seemed like a great option. In some ways, it was a big risk leaving our family and friends, but it's turned out great. We are so thankful to be here."

The position that DJ was initially filling was made possible by a Basketball Excellence Fund, which was created by former players Todd Young '94 and Scott Wilson '96 to honor the legacy of Coach Dave Arseneault Sr. With the help of 81 alumni donors, the Excellence Fund fueled the assistant position for four years.

The Damazos, who expressed plenty of thanks to Head Men's Basketball Coach David Arseneault Jr. '09 and Head Volleyball Coach Eric Ragan '12, dove in headfirst upon their arrival. DJ quickly created a strong bond with the basketball players he coached, and Kristland did the same with the volleyball team when she joined the program.

"I have really enjoyed the people I work with" says Kristland. "I'm so impressed with the maturity of the players, and it's cool getting to know them on a personal level. They've become family to us, and having them around our kids is such a blessing."

"I not only interact with some wonderful people on our team, but there are so many great co-workers here," adds DJ. "Everyone has created such a family-friendly environment. Grinnell College has been so great for our entire family."

Along with the Basketball Excellence Fund for DJ, the Athletic Department received a Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) coaching grant for Kristland. She has seen the benefits of the WSF up close.
"I've had the opportunity to attend their banquet a few times in New York," she explains. "A lot of high-profile people attend. … It's great to connect with so many others with the same goal of helping women's sports."

DJ has also taken an interesting professional development route, while taking advantage of his heritage. He currently serves as director of operations for the Asian Coaches Association.
"It's opened a ton of doors," he says. "We have a social every year at the Final Four, and I've connected with dozens and dozens of Asian coaches. Those relationships have led to some interesting opportunities, like attending Kansas University basketball practices."

But the Damazos' impact has gone way beyond the practice and competition arenas. A perfect example is the "Mug Shots" group that DJ created last year.

"We had a number of basketball players show up to our office a few springs ago for coffee time," explains DJ. "One of those players (Jackson Leone) said we should brand this, and we came up with the 'Mug Shots' idea. Since then, we've had a number of people show up to drink coffee and get their picture taken (thus the term "Mug Shot"). We've had people from almost all the sports at Grinnell, but others who aren't student-athletes. There are probably at least 60 pictures on the wall."

The Damazos have gone so far as to open their home to their athletes. "A lot of these students have difficulty making it home during the school year, so we wanted to give them a home away from home," explains Kristland. "We love having them and the athletes seem to enjoy it. We are fortunate to have these people show our boys so much attention."

DJ echos that thought. "The last few years, the one thing our boys have wanted for their birthdays is to have the teams come over," he explains. "On less than a day's notice, we've had the entire basketball and volleyball teams make it over. We can't thank them enough for that."

The Damazos note that their Christian faith has aided their approach to their jobs. "We see coaching as more than trying to get the players to be better at their sport," Kristland explains. "It's more about showing them love and caring for them. We feel strongly about our faith and what we're called to do."

"Our leadership style is modeled through serving Jesus," adds DJ. "That's why we're here … to serve the athletes, coaches, and the College."