In July 2022, Jamal Palmer accepted the position of Student-Athlete Development, Success, and Equity Coordinator, a first of its kind position for the Madison College Athletic Department. Jamal also continues to serve as an Academic Advisor within athletics and the greater Madison College community. Previoulsy, he served as the head men's basketball coach for four seasons from 2018-19 through 2021-22.
As head coach of the WolfPack, he led the program to a 41-36 record, and coached one All-American, ten all-region players, and four all-conference selection. Under his leadership, Madison College reached the 2020 NJCAA Region 4 Division III Championship game.
Prior to Madison College, Jamal had over twelve years of coaching experience, beginning as an assistant men's basketball coach at NCAA Division II Shippensburg University, in Shippensburg, PA. Jamal was the assistant for two seasons at Shippensburg before becoming the interim head coach at Slippery Rock University, another NCAA Division II school, in Slippery Rock, PA. He was the head coach at Slippery Rock for three seasons before taking an assistant coaching position with the men's basketball program at Saint Vincent College in June 2008. Jamal served as an assistant for one season at the NCAA Division III Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, before starting his next coaching venture. In September of 2009, he was hired as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division II University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, in Johnstown, PA. After leaving the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in July 2013, Jamal moved on to Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. He served as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division II school for two seasons before coming to Madison College.
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native was a two-sport athlete (basketball, football) at West Philadelphia Catholic High School, receiving many accolades for his basketball skills. Jamal was named both second team all-conference as a power forward/center and was named the fifth best small forward in the city by Ted Silary of the Philadelphia Daily News. Jamal took his talents to NCAA Division II Millersville University in Millersville, PA, and found instant success on the basketball team, starting every game during his career. Jamal was named first team all-conference (Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference) all three seasons, voted the PSAC Conference Player of the Year his junior season, and picked as an honorable mention Daktronics Academic All-American his sophomore through senior seasons. Jamal was inducted into the
Millersville University Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020.
After graduating from Millersville with a degree in Social Work in 1999, Palmer continued his playing career for four years at the professional level in England, Luxembourg and Finland. Following his only season playing for Worthing Thunder in England, Palmer garnered Most Valuable Player honors in the England Basketball League as a forward/center. Palmer followed that with Most Valuable Player and Co-Most Valuable Player honors in two seasons in the Luxembourg Professional League. Besides his athletic prowess, Palmer excelled in the classroom as well. Palmer received his Masters of Social Work (MSW) from Syracuse University in 2015 and recently received his Masters of Athletic Administration from the American Public University in March of 2019.
Outside of his coaching responsibility, Palmer has used his European contacts to help place many small college players in various countries throughout Europe, United Kingdom, and South America. Several of the players that Palmer helped place he either coached and developed or scouted and refereed them on European Agents. Many of the players continue their playing careers, and have be named to their respective league All-Star/All-Import teams.
