Basketball Nation Staff

Chris Whirlow

Chris co-founded Flight Elite in 1997 and helped build the program into one of the finest youth AAU programs in the West Region. Chris has coached teams from 3rd grade through High School Varsity since 1992.

He coached at Northgate HS in Walnut Creek from 1994-1997 and at Acalanes HS in Lafayette 1998-1999. Chris was the Head Varsity Boys coach at Campolindo HS in Moraga from 2001-2008. During his 7 seasons at the school, the Cougars compiled a 136-66 record, winning 3 DFAL league titles and 3 North Coast Section championships. These were the first for the school in over 30 years. He was named Contra Costa Times Coach of the Year in 2005. Chris resigned as Head Coach from Campolindo in 2008 to spend more time working with the Flight Elite program.

Chris also spent time as the Director of the West Coast Elite NorCal Under Armour Program. Coach Whirlow has been involved in the recruiting of countless players throughout the past two decades through Flight Elite, high school basketball, and his time with the Under Armour circuit teams.

Chris and his wife Audrey live in Danville with their daughter, Emerson.

Frank Allocco, Sr.

Frank was an all-state high school basketball player at Northgate High School under the guidance of Coach Frank Allocco, Sr. He led his team to a state championship in 1995, and scored 2,008 career points but more importantly, won 90% of his games.

Frank continued his basketball career by accepting a scholarship to Saint Mary’s College, where he was a three year starter, a WCC All-Conference player, and a participant in the 1997 NCAA tournament. He played for two renowned coaches, Ernie Kent and David Bollwinkel, who taught him what it takes to be a successful player at the college level.

Frank is the Head Varsity Coach at Clayton Valley Charter High School. In his first four seasons his teams have won 72% of their games with two Division 1 North Coast Section Championships. Coach Allocco was named as an Honorable Mention for Bay Area Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season according to Mercury News Group. Clayton Valley has had 10 players move on to play at the collegiate level in his four full seasons as head coach. He previously coaches for 12 years at De La Salle High School, being part of some of the most successful teams in California and winning a state championship in 2006. He is also the Director of Excel in Basketball Camps.

Coach Allocco was the founder of Prime Basketball which quickly rose to prominence as a top youth AAU program in the state of California.  Prime and Flight Elite were two programs that came together to create NorCal Elite.

Frank and his wife Janis live in Walnut Creek with their three children, Greg, Mick, and Belle.

Mike Samuels

Mike came to Basketball Nation in 2015 after a long and successful career serving as a senior level administrator within college athletics. Mike began his career at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, where he became the Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs, overseeing all of the department’s external operations. Mike helped reinvent the Gael brand in numerous ways, including oversight of the design and implementation of the athletic logo which was created in 2009. More notably, Mike helped Saint Mary’s stay competitive by significantly increasing the department’s annual revenue streams by revamping their ticketing and sponsorship programs. After 10 years at Saint Mary’s College, Mike accepted a position at the University of Nevada as the Associate Athletics Director for External Relations, overseeing the department’s ticket operations and sales, multi-media rights, marketing and promotions, branding and more.

While at the University of Nevada, Mike was credited with creating the University’s first true outbound ticket sales team, creating a six-person sales unit, dedicated to outbound sales. This effort significantly increased sales and revenue for the department while also leading to a greatly enhanced level of customer service and an increase in annual giving. Mike was also responsible for creating both the financial model and sales plan that led to the approval of the 12 million dollar renovation to Nevada’s football stadium (Mackay Stadium), the first major upgrade to the stadium since the mid 90’s,

Mike attended San Diego State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Business, Marketing. Prior to attending SDSU, Mike was born and raised in Walnut Creek (just minutes from the Ultimate Fieldhouse) and attended Northgate High School where he was a member of the 1995 State Championship team and the 1996 State Runners Up (Nor Cal Champions).

Steven Oronos

Oronos joins the Fieldhouse after graduating from Saint Mary’s College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport and Recreation Management. Prior to his time at Saint Mary’s, he attended De La Salle High School, where he was a starting member of the 2010–11 basketball team that competed against Mater Dei in the California State Championship.

During his time at Saint Mary’s, he remained actively involved in the community, serving as a counselor for Excel in Basketball camps since 2012. His passion for mentorship and player development has been a consistent theme throughout his career.

Now as the General Manager of Basketball Nations, Oronos oversees operations across both facilities—Ultimate Fieldhouse and Dream Courts—while also leading program development and execution. His leadership focuses on creating high-quality experiences for athletes and their families!

Tyler French

Tyler French is a high-level basketball performance coach and the General Manager of Shoot360 at Ultimate Fieldhouse in Walnut Creek, CA. With years of experience training athletes of all ages—from beginners to high school and collegiate players—Tyler specializes in developing confident, skilled, and game-ready players through a combination of elite coaching and cutting-edge technology.

At Shoot360, Tyler leads athletes through a proven training system that blends high-repetition skill work with real-time shot analytics powered by the same technology used by the majority of NBA teams. His sessions emphasize efficient shooting mechanics, ball-handling under pressure, and decision-making—helping players not just train harder, but train smarter.

Tyler has worked with hundreds of athletes in both individual and group settings, building lasting relationships while consistently delivering results. Known for his high energy, attention to detail, and ability to connect with players, he creates an environment where athletes are pushed to improve while still having fun.

Whether working with young beginners or serious players looking to take their game to the next level, Tyler’s mission is simple: help every athlete build confidence and get better faster.

Marcus Ellison

Marcus attended Brigham Young University (BYU) where he worked in the athletic department by assisting the women’s basketball team with operations, coaching youth camps, and competing as a practice player.

Following his graduation from BYU, he eventually moved to the Bay Area and accepted an opportunity at De La Salle High School as a Varsity Assistant Coach. Marcus also spent time coaching at the collegiate level as an Assistant Coach at Cal State East Bay, and has coached in our programs since 2015.  Marcus currently serves as a  lead skills trainer at the Ultimate Fieldhouse.

Keith Bruder

Keith was a standout player at College Park High School where he led his team to the first league championship in 15 years. He accepted a scholarship to William Jessup University where he was twice named to the NAIA All-Academic Team.

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Keith spent several years as the Head JV Coach at College Park High School and is now the Lead Assistant Coach at Clayton Valley Charter High School, where he helped lead the Eagles to their first Section Championship in school history.

Kenji McCrae

Coach Kenji is the Director and Head Coach of the Warriors Basketball Club and the Co-Director and Founder of the Valkyries Basketball Program. Now in his 15th year coaching boys and girls, and with prior experience at Flight Elite/NorCal Elite, he has helped develop many of the area’s top youth and varsity players.

Kenji’s coaching is driven by his high energy, passion for the game, and commitment to building strong team culture. He places a strong emphasis on skill development, competitive mindset, and the importance of being a great teammate, creating an environment where players grow both as athletes and as people.