Coaching Changes

Ben Howland and UCLA Agree to Seven Year Contract

Press Release — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:41:17 -0700

UCLA head men’s basketball coach Ben Howland and the University have agreed on a new seven-year contract, athletic director Dan Guerrero announced today. The new contract, which runs through the 2014-15 season, includes guaranteed compensation of $1.97 million for the 2008-09 season and escalates to $2.3 million for the 2014-15 season. It also includes the incentive package from his previous contract that has a maximum value of $235,000.

In 2007-08, UCLA set a school record for victories en route to a mark of 35-4 and a third consecutive Final Four appearance. Since the NCAA Tournament bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985, UCLA is one of just four schools to earn three straight Final Four berths (Michigan State in 1999-01 was the last to do so). UCLA has also won three straight Pac-10 titles, making Howland the first Bruin coach since John Wooden to win three straight league championships, and two of the last three Pac-10 Post-Season Tournaments.

Howland is also one of just three coaches in the history of college basketball to win at least 30 games in three consecutive seasons. He has also produced four NBA first-round draft choices in the last three seasons, including the fourth and fifth selections in the 2008 draft.

“Ben Howland and UCLA are a great combination,” said Guerrero. “Ben is at the top of his profession and is deserving of this commitment by the University. He has returned UCLA to the nation’s elite, as illustrated by three straight Finals Fours and three consecutive 30-win seasons. He is an outstanding recruiter, and the foundation Ben has built for our program promises to keep us at the forefront for the foreseeable future.”

“I have said this before, but there is no place I would rather be coaching than UCLA,” said Howland, 51. “I grew up a Bruin basketball fan and this is my dream job. We have great young men in our program, both on and off the field, and they are the real reasons for our success. UCLA is a special name in college basketball thanks to Coach Wooden and I am proud to be the caretaker of his program. I am also grateful to Chancellor (Gene) Block and Dan for the faith they continue to show in me.”

TJ Sorrentine Named Brown Assistant

Press Release — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:59:08 -0700

Providence, RI - TJ Sorrentine, a Pawtucket, Rhode Island native and the leader of the Vermont basketball team that upset Syracuse in the opening round of the 2005 NCAA Championship, has been named an assistant basketball coach at Brown in an announcement made by Bears' head coach Jesse Agel.

Sorrentine will be reunited with Agel, who guided him as an associate head coach at Vermont and recruited Sorrentine to the Catamounts' basketball program.

"I've known TJ as a great player, a tremendous competitor and a leader that players gravitate towards and hoped to emulate," said Agel. "Now Brown basketball will be able to utilize all of TJ's championship attributes to help us achieve the successes he has attained."

A 2005 graduate of Vermont with a B.A. in sociology, Sorrentine was a two-year captain, America East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, a three-time First Team All-conference player and an Honorable Mention All-American. He was also named to the America East Academic Honor Roll in 2002 and 2003.

"It's always been a dream of mine to coach, and having an opportunity to coach at Brown and in my home state is a dream come true," said Sorrentine. I've been coming to the Pizzitola Sports Center for the last 10 years, so it's a home away from home. Coach Agel and I have a great relationship and I've always respected him as a coach and person. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from him as a coach."

The point guard led Vermont to two NCAA Tournament appearances, in 2004 and 2005, and hit the game winning three-point basket that crushed the Syracuse Orangemen in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Sorrentine played professionally from 2005-2008, playing with Kk Krka in Slovenia, FC Porto in Portugal, Branca Nouvo Trappani in Italy, and the Florida Flame of the NBA Developmental League. He also played in the NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.

He also has extensive camp experience, and was a special guest speaker at the New England Top 90 Invitational, while working as a clinician at the Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp, the University of Vermont Basketball Camp, the University of Pennsylvania Basketball Camp, and the University of Rhode Island Basketball Camp.

Sorrentine's roots run deep through Rhode Island where he was a standout at St. Raphael's Academy in Pawtucket, earning All-State honors, while playing for his father, Thomas. He was the Rhode Island Player of the Year (USA Today, Gatorade) in 2000 after leading St. Ray's to back-to-back state titles. He was also guided by Steve MacDonald, WHJJ Sportscaster, in his early years, playing CYO basketball.

UIC's Collins Earns Contract Extension

Press Release — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:55:48 -0700

Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Head Men's Basketball Coach Jimmy Collins will continue to lead the Flames beyond the 2008-09 season as athletic director Jim Schmidt announced on Tuesday a three-year contract extension for the winningest basketball coach in school history pending Board of Trustees approval.

"I have been truly blessed to spend the last 12 years doing what I love here at UIC," Collins said. "It is a great university with great administrators, faculty and students, who have all helped me, and this basketball program, become successful.

"I am as excited as I have ever been about our upcoming season and the young men we have returning, as well as the new recruits we have coming in," Collins continued. "I am as eager to get on the court and continue to build this program as I was the day I got the job."

Collins, who is the longest tenured NCAA Division I men's basketball coach in the state, was introduced as head coach on March 27, 1996. He has guided UIC to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2004) and one NIT bid (2003) while topping the 20-win plateau on four occasions, including a school record 24 victories in 2003-04. Collins owns a career record of 194-171.

"Coach Collins has become synonymous with UIC basketball and has become an institution on this campus," Schmidt said. "His success speaks for itself.

"He is an excellent ambassador for UIC, understands our mission and will retire as a Flame."

Collins, the 1996-97 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Co-Coach of the Year, has guided 11 student-athletes to All-League honors during his tenure, including four-time All-Horizon League recipient, and UIC's all-time leading scorer, Cedrick Banks and 1998 MCC Player of the Year Mark Miller.

Last year, Collins took a team pegged for eighth in the preseason Horizon League poll and guided them to an 18-win season and a fourth place finish in the final league standings.

Collins, who will enter the 2008-09 season just six wins shy of 200 career victories, returns three starters to his lineup, including All-Horizon League performers Josh Mayo (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville) and Scott VanderMeer (Dyer, Ind../Lake Central).

Fullerton Extends Contract of Coach Bob Burton

Press Release — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:54:31 -0700

Fullerton, Calif. - Head Coach Bob Burton has signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge of the Cal State Fullerton men's basketball program through the 2012-13 season.

Burton has compiled a 92-60 record in five seasons with the Titans including two wins in the 2005 Post-Season NIT and a first-round loss to Wisconsin in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Fullerton's first berth since 1978. Last year's team won the Big West Conference post-season tournament after sharing in the school's first regular-season conference title since 1976.

"I think Bob's record speaks for itself and we are delighted we are able to keep him at Fullerton," said Director of Athletics Brian Quinn. "Not only have we enjoyed four consecutive winning seasons, but seven of his players are graduating in 2008."

With a .605 percentage, Burton is the winningest coach in school history. He was selected the NABC District 15 Coach of the Year for 2007-08.

"I appreciate the commitment from Brian and the University," said Burton. "They gave me a chance out of the community college ranks and I'm happy everything has worked out so well."

Burton's first Titan team in 2003-04 was 11-17 primarily with players inherited from predecessor Donny Daniels. The 2004-05 team went 21-11 and won NIT games at Oregon State and USF before losing at Georgetown. After a 16-13 season in 2005-06, the Titans have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time at 20-10 in 2006-07 and 24-9 last season.

Bucknell Names Dave Paulsen New Head Coach

Press Release — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:41:25 -0700

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Dave Paulsen, a two-time National Coach of the Year who led Williams College to the 2003 Division III national championship, has been selected as the head men’s basketball coach at Bucknell, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt announced Tuesday. Paulsen, a 1987 Williams graduate and a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, has coached at every level of college basketball over the last 20 years, has won 68 percent of his games as a head coach, and is considered a highly sought-after consultant on the principles of the motion offense.

Paulsen, 43, comes to Bucknell as its 20th head basketball coach after leading Williams to the top of the Division III ranks. In eight years at Williams, he guided the Ephs to a 170-53 (.762) record, including a combined 61-3 mark in 2002-03 and 2003-04. His team captured the 2003 national championship and was the national runner-up in 2004. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2004, Paulsen’s teams won three NESCAC championships (2003, 2004, 2007) and made four NCAA Tournament appearances (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007). He was a three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year and two-time New England Coach of the Year.

“Bucknell men’s basketball has established a superb record of winning on the court with outstanding young men who are dedicated scholar-athletes,” said Bucknell president Brian C. Mitchell. “Coach Paulsen is precisely the first-class leader we sought for this exceptional program. He knows what it is like to recruit the best student-athletes, to prepare them for success on the national level, and to bring honor and credit to the university in doing so. We are proud to welcome Coach Paulsen into the Bison coaching staff, and look forward to the tremendous successes ahead of him.”

“At the end of a comprehensive national search, it is clear that Dave Paulsen is the coach who can build upon Bucknell’s winning tradition in the men’s basketball program,” said Hardt. “Coach Paulsen has recruited successfully at the Division I level, and he has built a championship program at an academically minded liberal arts institution. Perhaps more impressive than his won-loss ledger is his track record in developing quality student-athletes who represent their school and their community with pride. During the search process, it did not take long to understand just how well-respected Coach Paulsen is across the coaching profession, both as a colleague and as a basketball strategist. I am very excited to welcome Dave and his family to Bucknell. We are eager to facilitate his successful transition and to him beginning his work with the Bison program.”

Prior to his tenure at Williams, Paulsen served as head coach at LeMoyne from 1997-2000 and at St. Lawrence from 1994-97. He compiled a three-year record of 42-39 at LeMoyne, while also serving as the school’s director of NCAA compliance. At St. Lawrence, he posted a 50-28 record in three seasons, including the 1995-96 and 1996-97 campaigns in which the Saints made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and he was twice named the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year.

In 14 years as a head coach at Williams, LeMoyne and St. Lawrence, Paulsen produced a record of 262-120 (.680).

In 1989-90, Paulsen served as the graduate assistant coach on Steve Fisher’s staff at Michigan while completing his master’s degree in history. Paulsen was part of a Wolverines program that went 23-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and he had the opportunity to coach six players who would later become NBA draft picks.

From 1990-94, Paulsen was the senior assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Cleveland State, helping the Vikings to a 64-50 record in four seasons, including a 22-6 record (15-1 Mid-Continent Conference) in 1992-93.

Paulsen graduated from Williams cum laude with departmental honors in history. He was also a member of the Ephs’ varsity basketball team. In 1987, his squad captured the ECAC New England Division III championship.

Upon his return to Williams as head coach, Paulsen also served as an assistant professor of physical education, which is fitting since he is widely regarded as one of college basketball’s most accomplished teachers.

Known as an offensive innovator, Paulsen has produced four acclaimed instructional videos, entitled “Ten Offensive Principles for the Adaptable Motion Offense,” “Motion Offense for Beginners,” “Developing Explosive Perimeter Players,” and “Principles of Effective Post Play.”

Paulsen has been a featured clinician at more than 50 developmental camps and coaches conventions throughout the nation, including the prestigious Nike Championship Basketball Clinics. He was even asked to participate in a pair of clinics in Portugal.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to carry on the tradition of success that has been built at Bucknell through the years,” said Paulsen. “Bucknell has distinguished itself among a very small group of schools that have been able to win games in the NCAA Tournament and yet hold true to the ideal of the scholar-athlete.

www.BucknellBison.com

Lots of changes at Marist...and some other Northeast news

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:41:33 -0700

Well, today marks the beginning of the Spring Signing Period, and many fans are awaiting the decision of guard Tyreke Evans. The explosive prerimeter player is said to be leaning in the direction of Memphis, and that's who I'd expect him to sign with due to the departure of Derrick Rose. But the school with the most going on in recent days has to be Marist, who will any day be gaining a head coach, but they've already lost two players. - Memphis assistant Jose "Chucky" Martin to be named Marist head coach. Many services have reported that the official announcement is coming any day now. Martin, a native of New York City, has many ties to the area due to both his playing at St. Raymond's in the Bronx and assistant stints at Manhattan and St. John's. That's the good news for fans of the Red Foxes, who head into this critical portion of the offseason with a head coach in place. As for the bad... - Guard Jay Gavin is transferring to VCU. According to Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal, star freshman guard Jay Gavin will be leaving Marist at the end of the semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth. He'll have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, but with the coaching change the people most instrumental in getting him to Marist are now gone (the entire coaching staff went with Matt Brady to James Madison). And speaking of James Madison, former Marist verbal commitment Andrey Semenov will follow Brady and his staff to JMU. Coach Martin will have a lot of work to do in regards to filling out his roster for the upcoming season. - G Doug Wiggins has asked to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer. A couple of weeks ago head coach Jim Calhoun talked about some imminent changes that would be coming this offseason for his program. One domino has fallen apparently, that being East Hartford native Doug Wiggins. Some moves were expected in regards to playing time/off-court issues, and Wiggins certainly had to deal with the latter during his two years in Storrs. But the main thing for Wiggins is to find a place in which he'll see a lot of playing time over his final two seasons. - "Christmas in April" for Rutgers? Maybe. Reported on Monday by Stacey Davis of NYCHoops.net, there is the possibility of St. Benedict's Prep forward and Rutgers commit Greg Echinique accelerating his coursework in order to graduate in time to join the Scarlet Knights this fall. A member of the Class of 2009, sources have told Davis that Echinique has entered an accelerated program with hopes of getting this done. If it can happen, look out for RU next season. - Sources say that Travis Ford could be the new head coach at Oklahoma State any day now. According to ESPN.com, UMass head coach Travis Ford is expected to take the same position at Oklahoma State any day now, just about a week after turning down Providence and agreeing to a new deal to stay at UMass. He replaces Sean Sutton, who was let go after two seasons in Stillwater.

Kent State Named Geno Ford Head Coach

Press Release — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:54:02 -0700

KENT, Ohio – Kent State Athletic Director Laing Kennedy has announced the hiring of Geno Ford as men’s basketball Head Coach. Ford takes over as the 23rd head coach in the 92-year history of Kent State basketball after four previous years as an assistant coach for the Golden Flashes.

“This was an easy decision for us because we did not have to look very far,” said Kennedy, “Geno is an outstanding coach and I am confident in his abilities to carry on the tradition of the program and the success of our student-athletes.”

Ford brings 10 years of coaching experience, including three as a head coach, to the helm of the Kent State program. As a head coach he compiled a 51-32 (.614) record at Shawnee State University and Muskingum College.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to carry the Kent State tradition forward,” said Ford, “We will continue to emphasize the core values coach Christian instilled in the staff and players.”

No stranger to KSU’s commitment to excellence, he has helped lead the program to a 92-38 (.708) record during his two previous tenures on the coaching staff. Ford rejoined the Golden Flashes in 2007-08 after spending the prior two seasons as the head coach at Muskingum.

Immediately after returning to the KSU family last summer, Ford led the Golden Flashes’ recruiting efforts of 2008 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Al Fisher. Led by a team high 13.9 points and 4.0 assists per game from Fisher, Kent State went 28-7 and 13-3 in the MAC winning both the regular season and tournament titles. The Golden Flashes earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in school history.

In Ford’s first stint on the staff from 2002-05, KSU won over 20 games each season, qualified for three straight National Invitational Tournaments and won a pair of MAC East Division titles.

“Geno has played an integral part in continuing the solid foundation of excellence put in place here at Kent State,” said Kennedy, “His experience allows the program to move forward with a strong recruiting base and a national profile.”

“I am very anxious to get started,” said Ford, “There are several important issues that need immediate attention that we will focus on right away.”
A Cambridge, Ohio native, Ford started his career as a college head coach at Shawnee State University in 2001-02, earning American Mideast Conference Coach of the Year honors in his lone season. He guided the Bears to a school record 22 victories and a 10-game improvement from the previous season.

In just his first season at Muskingum in 2005-06, Ford led the Muskies to their best record (17-9) in 15 years.

Ford began his coaching career at his alma mater, Ohio University, under current Western Carolina Head Coach Larry Hunter. He served as a graduate assistant for one season (1998-99) and was promoted to assistant coach, where he remained for two more seasons. During that time the Bobcats went 57-34, including 35-18 in the MAC.

In all, he has built an impressive coaching resume posting a 200-104 record in his 10 seasons as a head coach and an assistant.

Tom Crean To Accept Indiana Job

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:38:51 -0700
At the bottom of every sunken ship is a hidden treasure.. or at least that's what Tom Crean hopes. The nine-year Marquette coach is set to become the new Indiana Hoosiers head coach. The demise of Kelvin Sampson and the team's struggles under Dan Dakich are well documented, and it will be up to Crean to resurrect this once proud program. Unfortunately he'll have to do it without the help of DJ White & Lance Stemler (seniors), Eric Gordon (NBA Draft), and perhaps neither of Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis (dimissal/suspension/who knows). This would leave freshman Jordan Crawford as the major only contributor with more than a 50% likelihood of returning. Even worse than the aforementioned departures is that top recruits Devin Ebanks and Terrell Holloway have requested to be let out of their letters of intent. On top of that, the Hoosiers are down one scholarship next year due to Sampson's "mistakes." All in all, Crean has some work to do.. but his impressive resume at Marquette suggests he can be successful. In nine seasons, Crean went 190-96 including a Final Four appearance in 2003. That great run was largely due to the dominance of Dwyane Wade. Without Wade around, Crean has never advanced beyond the second round.. including this season when Stanford knocked them out of the Big Dance. While Crean faces a can't win situation next year.. it seems like his Marquette replacement will inherent a can't lose situation. Team leaders Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews are all juniors, and barring unlikely NBA Draft campaigns, should return for another go around.

South Carolina Announces Darrin Horn Hiring

Press Release — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:16:36 -0700

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 1, 2008) - Darrin Horn has been named the head coach of the men's basketball program at the University of South Carolina, Gamecocks' Athletics Director Eric Hyman announced today.

Horn, 35, has spent the past five seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University. Under Horn's tutelage, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 111-48, a .698 winning percentage, including a 29-7 record and a Sun Belt Conference title during the 2007-08 campaign. The 29 wins tied the school record. He averaged over 22 wins per season during his five-year stint in Bowling Green. He took his latest squad to the "Sweet 16" as a No. 12 seed with wins over fifth-seeded Drake and No. 13 San Diego before their season came to an end in a 10-point loss to top-seed UCLA. He also led the Toppers to a pair of National Invitation Tournament appearances, including 2006 when lost to South Carolina in the Colonial Center.

Known for his up-tempo offense and pressure defense, Horn 2006-07 squad posted a 22-11 record, their third straight year of 20-or more wins. They were 12-6 in the Sun Belt Conference with all six losses decided by five points or less. No Hilltopper head coach had led WKU to three straight years of 20 or more wins in his first four seasons until Horn accomplished the feat.

Along with his record on the court, Horn's players have also been successful off it. Every player who has completed his eligibility under Horn at WKU has earned his degree.

Horn joins a long list of former WKU coaches that have moved up to bigger programs including Gene Keady (Purdue), Clem Haskins (Minnesota), Ralph Willard (Pittsburgh) and Dennis Felton (Georgia).

Horn is taking over for Dave Odom, who coached the Gamecocks for seven seasons before announcing on January 18 that he would retire at the end of the season.

Coaching Experience:
Western Kentucky, assistant coach, 1995-97
Morehead State, assistant coach, 1997-99
Marquette, assistant coach, 1999-03
Western Kentucky, head coach, 2003-08

Sutton Out at Oklahoma State

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:52:28 -0700
Sean Sutton's two year stint as Oklahoma State head coach is reportedly coming to an end. Various outlets are saying Sutton is being "forced out" regardless of whether he ends up technically resigning or not. Sutton's brief record is 39-29 over two seasons with two NIT losses. Making things worse for Sutton is the lack of talent on the horizon. The Cowboys have two players locked up for next year who are glorified high-major prospects, while rival Oklahoma is bringing in Top 20 recruit Willie Warren. Unfortunately, Sutton may most be remembered most for appearing unstable at times on the Oklahoma State sideline.