Jason "Jai" Steadman joins the Independence Men's Basketball program as Head Coach.

“I am excited and honored to be hired as the next men’s basketball coach at Independence Community College”, Steadman said. “I look forward to competing in the Jayhawk Conference and will do my best to make Pirate nation proud.

“After a nationwide search filled with excellent candidates, we are excited to welcome Coach Steadman to Independence,” said ICC Athletic Director Melissa Anderson. "His proven coaching acumen and commitment to student-athlete development aligns with our values, and we are excited to see the positive impact he will have."

“Coach Steadman brings a wealth of knowledge to ICC, we are confident he will embrace our community and recruit quality student-athletes to our program,” said ICC President Dr. Vincent Bowhay.

Before coming to Independence, Steadman served as Assistant Coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G-League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, where he assisted the team to a 2023 Western Conference Championship.

In 2020-2021, Coach Steadman was announced as an assistant coach with the University of Maine Men's Basketball program on Sept. 7, 2021. Steadman was elevated to Interim Head Coach on Feb. 17, 2022.

Jai Steadman was named interim head coach on Feb. 11, 2021, following the tragic passing of University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Head Coach Lew Hill. Steadman was previously an assistant coach for UTRGV since Sept. 24, 2014. UTRGV broke four programs recording during the 2020-21 season for fewest field goals allowed (436), fewest three-pointers permitted (105), lowest opponent three-point shooting percentage (29.9%), and fewest rebounds permitted (757). UTRGV opponents hit only 63.7% of free throw attempts, the second-lowest mark in program history. In Steadman's first game as interim head coach, the Vaqueros broke the program record for steals (27), scoring 48 points off 47 turnovers in a 116-51 victory over Dallas Christian. UTRGV scored 64 points in the second half, the fifth-highest single-game total in program history. Steadman was ranked for the No. 1 spot among assistant coaches in the Western Athletic Conference by Stadium's Jeff Goodman for the 2020-2021 season.

In that article, Lew Hill remarked, "Jai is a great recruiter and Areless worker. He is also great with the players and a team-first coach." During his time at UTRGV, Steadman has been heavily involved in scouting, on-court coaching, scheduling, and recruiting.

Then, after working with the Vipers, Steadman departed to become an assistant coach at Bellevue University in 2012-2013, where he helped to lead the team to a conference championship and a berth in the NAIA Sweet 16 before returning to the Rio Grande Valley.

Before joining UTRGV, Steadman already had significant ties to the region, having spent three seasons with the Vipers from 2009-2012, helping them to their first championship in 2010 and a runner-up finish in 2011. He also was an assistant coach for the 2010 NBA D-League All-Star Game and the NBA D-League Select team during the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas under current Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse. His coaching responsibilities included on-floor coaching, individual player development, scouting all upcoming opponents and personnel, and serving as a liaison to the Rockets regarding player development. Additionally, Steadman ran the Jr. Vipers' youth camps and clinics and was an integral part of the Vipers' community engagement efforts.

Following a stint as a volunteer assistant coach with the Fort Worth Flyers with the NBA D-League in 2006-2007, Steadman became an assistant coach at Louisiana from 2007-2009. While at Louisiana, he helped bring in the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference.

Steadman returned to college basketball in 2004-2005 as an assistant coach at McNeese State before joining the staff at North Texas the following season. Steadman was the recruiting coordinator at each stop, helping to produce the No. 64 and No. 29 ranked recruiting classes in the nation, respectively.

Steadman has previous Head Coaching experience with the Randers Cimbria in Denmark, where he led the team to their first playoff appearance in 2003-2004. He also spent the 2013-2014 season as the Head Coach at Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, before returning to the Rio Grande Valley.

After three seasons as an assistant coach at Tyler Junior College, Steadman returned to the NCAA Division 1 level as an assistant coach at TCU in 2002-2003, where he helped produce the No. 32 ranked recruiting class in the nation.

The Lincoln, Nebraska native graduated from the University of Nebraska, where he began his coaching career as an administrative assistant from 1992-1997. While there, Nebraska won the 1995 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and the 1994 Big 8 Tournament while going to the NCAA tournament in 1992,1993, and 1994 and making an additional NIT appearance in 1996. Steadman is a member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, making him one of just two Native American head coaches in NCAA Division I men's basketball, as well as Houston's Kelvin Sampson (Lumbee Native Americans in North Carolina).

While working the Vipers, Steadman met Sally, to whom he is now married. They have four children, Morgan, Malik, Bryan, and Sydney, as well as grandchildren, Ayden and Omari.