Brionne Gillion joined the LIU men’s basketball coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 season.
At LIU, Gillion serves as a strategic architect for player recruitment and development, drawing on decades of experience coaching, mentoring, and transitioning players to succeed in high-pressure environments. His global perspective, elite-level connections, and championship pedigree position him as an invaluable asset to the Sharks’ coaching staff.
Gillion brings a rare blend of basketball expertise, global business acumen, and media influence to the LIU coaching staff. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Gillion starred at Coconut Creek High School before beginning his coaching career in 1996 at Rickards High School in Tallahassee. It was there he first began mentoring high school athletes with collegiate aspirations—launching a lifelong commitment to talent development that has impacted hundreds of athletes at every level of the game.
During his early years in Tallahassee, Gillion formed a formative relationship with coaching legend Leonard Hamilton, whose mentorship helped shape his approach to coaching and player mentorship. In 1998, Gillion co-founded Breakdown Magazine, the nation’s first full-color, nationally distributed prep basketball publication, which quickly became a staple in the high school basketball recruiting landscape. That same year, he helped launch Team Breakdown, a grassroots juggernaut that produced numerous Division I recruits and NBA draft picks while winning multiple AAU national championships.
In addition to his coaching and media credentials, Gillion has built a global footprint in both sports and business. He has cultivated athletic and business ties in the Dominican Republic, where he played a pivotal role in transitioning foreign players to the U.S. style of play—bridging cultural and athletic gaps that often hinder international talent. Off the court, Gillion amassed considerable wealth through real estate investing and hospitality management in the Dominican Republic, further broadening his portfolio as a multifaceted entrepreneur and leader.
Gillion’s media career is equally distinguished. He helped create and host the “Breakdown Show,” which aired nationally on FOX’s SUN Network and reached more than 9 million homes, offering expert commentary on national signing days, the NBA Draft, and elite prep competition. He also founded top-tier national showcase events, including the Breakdown Shootout, Breakdown Hoops Festival, and the Battle for the Rankings Camp, all of which have served as proving grounds for the nation's top high school prospects.
With deeply rooted relationships with industry icons like Sonny Vaccaro and George Raveling, Gillion has consulted for elite sports startups including Overtime Inc. in the creation of the Overtime Elite brand. His work with major athletic brands—Reebok, Adidas, Under Armour, and New Balance—further cements his status as a go-to figure in grassroots and global basketball development.
