Meet the BCB Staff
Coach Sam Allen
Biography
Coach Sam Allen is the owner, founder, and coach at Blue Collar Basketball. Since BCB’s inception in 2011, Sam has worked with players from a variety of levels including middle school, high school, college, and professional. Prior to founding Blue Collar Basketball, Sam spent eight years coaching at the collegiate level. In addition to running BCB, he also works with highly acclaimed and world-renowned PGC (Point Guard College), where he directs “Essentials” and “Shooting College” courses. Sam’s unique ability to teach the game and infectious energy have afforded him the opportunity to speak at Better Basketball, PGC/Glazier, high school, and college coaching clinics. He graduated from Reinhardt University with a B.A in History and holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State University.
Playing Experience
• All-State PG for school record 28-3 Brookwood High School his senior year under legendary 7-time Georgia HS State Champion Eddie Martin
• Starting PG for school record 125 consecutive games at Reinhardt University
• Compiled over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists during 4-year college career
• All-Conference and All-Academic honors at Reinhardt
• Led school to first ever National Tournament Appearance
Coaching Experience
• 8 years at the collegiate level
• Coached, developed, and mentored 5 players at college level who went on to play professionally
• Worked under 2 National Championship Head Coaches
• Coached, developed, and recruited leading scorer in the country at 29ppg, 12 All-Conference players and 6 All-Freshman athletes
• Worked with over 40 teams including middle school, high school and college from various states as well as 2 international teams
• Coached and trained multiple Region Players of the year and all-state selections
Coach Timia Reynolds
Biography
BCB Full Time Coach and Administrator
Timia Reynolds is a 2017 graduate of Emmanuel College. In her career as a Lady Lion, Reynolds played in over 100 games, starting in over half of those games. She also scored over 1000 points, averaged a season high of 13.8 points per game in her senior year, and served as team captain in her junior and senior years. Some accolades that Reynolds collected in her playing career at Emmanuel include being named to the NCCAA All Tournament Team in 2015, being named to the NCCAA All South Region Team as well as Third Team All American in 2016, and being named an NCCAA First Team All American as well as being the recipient of the NCCAA Kathy Freeze Award (awarded to the top female student athlete in the NCCAA) in 2017. Reynolds also helped to lead her team to the NCCAA National Championship game in her senior season, just falling short of being champions, but making history for the women’s basketball program as the 2nd place team in the NCCAA Nationals.
Upon graduating from Emmanuel, Timia accepted the position as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach. She spent 3.5 seasons as the assistant before being promoted to associate head coach. In 2017-2018, the team was the NCCAA South Region Champions and came in third at the NCCAA National Championship. In 2018-2019, the team was the NCAA Conference Carolinas regular season champions as well as the Conference Tournament champions, a first in school history.
Coach Damien Payne (DP)
Biography
When asked why he coaches with BCB, Coach DP said, “BCB has given me the opportunity to continue to do what I was born to do! The ability to coach and work with kids as they continue to develop in the sport that I love. The overall philosophy that Sam has implemented is truly what I believe is best for children as they develop the necessary skills to be successful human beings on and off the court. Even if basketball does not work out for the kids who come through our organization, they will be successful in whatever they pursue due to the foundational core values we live by.”
Playing Career
- All State/All Region in Alabama (1998)
- 1st Team All-County 3 years
- College career at Faulkner State Community College, Martin Methodist University, and Reinhardt University.
Coaching Career
- Volunteer Coach in Cherokee County since 2004
- Creeview Jr. Grizzlies head Coach
- Creekview HS JV Coach & assistant Varsity Coach
- BCB Coach since 2022
Coach Justin Newton
Biography
We are excited for Coach Newton to be leading our BCB Augusta program! With over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience over multiple levels of college basketball, Coach Newton is excited to develop athletes in the Augusta and surrounding areas.
Coaching Career
- Victory Christian School — Athletic Director | North Augusta, SC
- Motlow State Community College — Head Men’s Basketball Coach | 17 wins in Year 1
- Reinhardt University — Head Men’s Basketball Coach
- Andrew College — Head Men’s Basketball Coach | 24–8 | Regular-Season Champions
- University of Arkansas at Monticello — Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
- Lee University — Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
- Columbus State University (Georgia) — Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
- South Georgia State College — Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
- Victory Christian School — Head Boys’ Basketball Coach
Coach Micah Ryals
Biography
BCB Boys Coach
Coach Ryals started his coaching journey in 2015 with Point Guard College. He has been a part of the development and growth of thousands of athletes around the country. Ryals is a graduate of Toccoa Falls College and was a student assistant coach for two seasons during his time at TFC. In 2019, Coach Ryals moved back to Taccoa Falls and was the lead assistant for the women’s basketball team. In 2020, Coach Ryals was promoted to head coach and is entering his third season. Ryals has been a part of the development of 14 all conference players and 15 Academic All-Americans.
Coach Brandi (Bam) Ables
Biography
BCB Girls Coach
Coach Bam brings over a decade of experience developing players across high school, middle school, AAU, and collegiate prep levels. A forward/power forward by trade, she was a four-year starter at Soddy Daisy High School and a two-year starter at Cleveland State Community College before turning her competitive drive toward coaching.
Her coaching career spans some of the Chattanooga area’s most respected programs. She spent four years as a girls varsity and middle school assistant at Baylor School, one of Tennessee’s premier Division II-AA programs. She also served as head middle school coach at Girls Preparatory School and led boys and girls teams (grades 6–8) for four years as head coach with the North Georgia Thunder AAU program. Coach Bam has spent two years as a PGC (Point Guard College) Basket Instructor, working with athletes in basketball and leadership development across the country.
Off the court, Coach Bam helped build three businesses in Downtown Chattanooga and founded a nonprofit focused on sober living. She earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Leadership from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.8 GPA.
Coaching Career
- Blue Collar Basketball — Assistant Coach (two years)
- PGC (Point Guard College) — Basket Instructor (two years)
- Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN (2022–2026) — Girls varsity and middle school assistant
- Girls Preparatory School (2021) — Head middle school coach
- North Georgia Thunder AAU (2018–2021) — Four-year head coach, boys and girls (grades 6–8)
Playing Career
- Two-year starter at Cleveland State Community College (2004–2006), averaging 15 points per game
- Four-year starter at Soddy Daisy High School (2000–2004), averaging 10 points per game
- Selected to the All-Star Team her senior year
“What an honor to be a part of the BCB family and learn from other passionate coaches. BCB gives me the opportunity to engage, encourage, and build young people into great athletes and great human beings.”
Coach Elise Coberly
Biography
BCB Girls Coach
Coach Christi Thomas
Biography
• Coached and trained multiple Region Players of the year and all-state
• Coached and trained multiple Region Players of the year and all-state selections
Thomas joined the BCB team in the Fall of 2017. Christi helps with high school & middle school team training, working with both boys and girls teams. She also leads BCB individual and small group sessions.
Thomas was a former Ms. GA Basketball her senior year at Buford HS. She continued her collegiate career at the University of Georgia where she finished in the top 10 for career points, rebounds, and blocks. She was then drafted #12 by the L.A. Sparks in the WNBA. She recently retired after 7 years in the WNBA and 9 professional seasons across several different countries. Upon her return to the U.S. and back in her home state of Georgia, she was named 2015-16 Community Coach of the Year while at Northview HS. She was an assistant coach at Flowery Branch HS in the 2016-17 season, helping lead them to the Final Four.
Sam Allen on the addition of Christi:
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Christi be a part of our team. Christi and I had met a couple of times over the last few years since she retired from playing. However, when we worked together during the summer at a PGC course, I knew we had to find a way to get her involved with Blue Collar. Christi’s got a great presence on the court as a teacher. She loves the game and loves helping kids. She connects well and commands respect. I’m fired up about her continuing to impact all the players we get to work with.”
Coach Mason Ambler
Biography
Coach Mason Ambler grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia where he attended Parkview High School. Upon graduation from Parkview, Mason played one season at Hiwassee Junior College before finishing his final three years of eligibility at Coker College (NCAA Division. II). At Coker, Mason was a three-time All-Conference team member, including his senior season in which he was an NABC All-Region selection. He was recently named as a member of the Coker College All-Time Team and still ranks Top Ten in career scoring and rebounding. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Mason played one professional season in the Irish Super League (Moycullen, Ireland).
Mason began his coaching career in 2011 when he joined Sharman White at the prestigious Miller Grove High School (Lithonia, Georgia) and served as an Assistant Coach with an emphasis on post player development. During his five years with Miller Grove, they won four GHSA State Championships, played national schedules and competed in the 2016 Dick’s National Championship.
Mason continues to utilize his degree in business where he serves as a national sales rep covering the Southeastern United States and as of the Fall of 2016, Coach Ambler joined the team at Blue Collar to share his passion and love for the game. Mason serves in a variety of roles with BCB. He provides on court teaching with BCB’s team training and travel ball teams. Mason will also help provide leadership to Blue Collar Basketball Showcase Events in the 2017-18 HS season. The HS showcases annually feature some of the top HS teams in the peach state and Southeast.
Coach Milt Travis
Biography
In his 34 years of coaching, Coach Travis has taken 3 different schools to the state tournament multiple times. He has rebuilt 4 different HS programs based on the principles of fundamentals and intensity. He has taken teams to multiple state final fours, but some of his proudest accomplishments are the relationships he has built and that former players of his are successful adults as spouses and parents working in different professions such as lawyers, teachers, bankers, doctors, ministers, armed forces and more.
“Coach Travis’s experience and wisdom has been so valuable to what we are doing. His experience in developing players at the HS level for almost 35 years as well as running highly successful camps has helped us improve our approach. When I first got into coaching, I spent time learning from him the importance of developing strong relationships with your players. He lives that out in a very real way. Coach Travis has been able to help us improve our skill development progressions while also reinforcing the thread that runs through all of our teachings – a blue collar, toughness approach.”
TESTIMONIALS
“I would highly endorse Blue Collar Basketball and Sam Allen for individual and team training for basketball. I have known Sam as a high school and college player and as a coach. He has become quite a student of the game as well as having a tremendous work ethic. He not only knows how to play the game, but has become very adept in teaching the game.”
Coach Eddie Martin, Greater Atlanta Christian, 5 time GA high school state champion
“Coach Sam Allen is the hardest working person I know. As a teammate of his in college no one worked harder to be the best he could be, and this has carried over to coaching. The name Blue Collar Basketball is a true representation of who Coach Allen truly is.”
Coach Jeremy Adams, Sequoyah High School, 2011 Region 7AAAA Champions