Courtesy - UTPA Sports Information Department

Ryan Marks has been named as the Broncs head basketball coach, announced Ricky Vaughn, interim athletic director. A formal press conference will take place late next week officially introducing Coach Marks.

“I am extremely happy that we were able to come to terms with Ryan Marks. I feel he is exactly what we are looking for in a coach,” said Vaughn. “He brings a winning attitude and a winning tradition. Marks has been the head coach at universities where he has turned them around from not being successful programs to being highly successful programs and going to national championships in their division which speaks volumes for his coaching abilities. Marks gets his student-athletes in involved in the university and in the community and that is exactly what we are looking for in a coach.

Marks comes to UTPA after serving as the head coach for the Hilltoppers of St. Edwards for the past five seasons. While at St. Edwards, Marks compiled a 91-54 record, which includes three trips to the NCAA Division II basketball tournament. Prior to his arrival, the school had never been to the NCAA basketball tournament. This past season marked their fourth consecutive winning season, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1959-1962.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to coach at a place like the University of Texas-Pan American that has a storied athletic history and a great reputation as a national institution,” said Marks. “I am tremendously appreciative to Dr. Sober, Dr. Edwards and Coach Vaughn for their faith in me in taking on this ambitious endeavor.”

Before joining St. Edward’s, Marks spent three seasons as the men’s basketball head coach at Southern Vermont College in Bennington, VT. Under his direction, the Mountaineers posted a 57-29 overall record and a 37-12 Great Northeast Athletic Conference record. In his first season at the college, the team experienced a 12-game turnaround, making them the second most improved Division III team in the NCAA. Marks then guided the team to its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in the 2002-2003 season, and first 20-win season (24-6) in the school’s history. The Mountaineers captured their first-ever regular season and conference tournament championships and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament — an achievement resulting in most improved Division III Team honors by the Northeast Basketball Coaches Association.

In 2003 to 2004, Marks continued his winning ways, posting the school’s third straight 15+ win season (18-11) and leading the Mountaineers to their first appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.Before coaching the Mountaineers, Marks helped lead the Northern Illinois University Huskies to the 1996 NCAA Division I Tournament as an assistant coach. Prior to that, he spent two years as an assistant at Central Missouri State University, where the Mules advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament both seasons, including a run to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1995.

Marks received his bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Southern California. While a student, he spent three years as the player personnel assistant for the Los Angeles.

Just days after being named a finalist for the Clair B. Award, Radford head men’s basketball coach Brad Greenberg was presented the 2009 Red Auerbach Award at the American Jewish Coaches Association Annual Breakfast and Meeting Saturday morning.

The award is presented annually at the Final Four to the most outstanding Jewish American Basketball Coach of the Year.

“Red Auerbach won more NBA championships than anyone in pro basketball history,” commented Coach Greenberg. “It is a privilege and an honor to receive this award.”

This year’s finalists as selected by the Jewish Coaches Association were Brad Greenberg (Radford), his brother Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech) and Bruce Pearl (Tennessee).

“Auerbach was a role model and inspiration to all coaches, especially Jewish ones. It is especially meaningful to be honored by the Jewish Coaches Association which recognizes the need to mentor, develop and befriend Jewish coaches across the country.”

In just two years on the bench of the Highlanders, Greenberg has guided his club to a number of school and Big South records.

This past season Greenberg led his club to the biggest turnaround in league history, earning him 2008-09 Big South Coach of the Year honors. After finishing seventh in 2007-08, Radford claimed its fourth Big South regular season title and just its second tournament crown in school history.

The 2008-09 season began with a feel of the past as Greenberg’s Highlanders played their first nine home games in the 500-seat Peters Hall, before concluding the campaign in front of a school-record 20,226 fans in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.

Just after leading his club to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Greenberg was tabbed the Richmond Times Dispatch State Coach of the Year.

Along with leading the Highlanders to their seventh 20-win season in school history, Radford tied the conference record for league wins in a season with 15. Greenberg’s Highlanders also won a school-record nine-straight games away from home, which is currently the second longest streak in the nation.

Also a finalist for the Hugh Durham, Greenberg is the first Highlander head coach since 1991-92 to earn conference coach of the year.

To go along with Greenberg receiving the coach’s honor, Duke’s Jon Scheyer received the 2009 Dolph Schayes Award, given to the most outstanding Jewish American Player in 2008-09.

via Radford University

It’s not unheard of to find Bruce Pearl, the men’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, somewhere in public screaming with his shirt off — be it as a spectator rooting on the women’s basketball team with his portly belly painted orange and sporting a giant V for Volunteers, or onstage rapping at a school awards ceremony.

Last week, though, at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, the gut stayed covered as he donned a tux to emcee a fund-raising gala for Maccabi USA.

Pearl will be among the 9,000 participants from more than 54 countries in the Maccabiah Games in Israel July 12-23, when he serves as the head coach of the United States men’s basketball team.

Organizers of the Olympics-style competition for Jewish athletes, held every four years since 1932 in Palestine and then the State of Israel, say it is the third largest athletic gathering of any kind.

For Pearl, participating in the games is about fostering Jewish identity — his own, as it will be his first visit to Israel, and other young Jews who otherwise may not have a connection to their people and land.

“The biggest thing that we can do is help them with their direction, help them know who they are — and they are the leaders of our futures,” the coach told an audience. “This experience will be with them for the rest of their lives.”

For Pearl, it had been a busy week, as the gala fell on the last day of an eight-day open recruiting period for NCAA coaches during which he crisscrossed the country looking for the next class of Vols. Pearl said he had made similar efforts in recruiting his 2009 Maccabi squad, as he is dedicated to bringing home gold.

“We have to strengthen our bonds with the State of Israel. When I went out and recruited, that is what I sold them on — the opportunity to go back to their homeland,” he said.

The event boasted a few other big names, including former NBA center Danny Schayes, WNBA commissioner Donna Orender and Survivor: Africa winner and former professional soccer player Ethan Zohn.

Orender, who played on the 1985 U.S. women’s basketball team, said her experience as an athlete truly did shape who she is now, even though it did not end in a clear-cut victory. The United States was set to face Israel for the gold medal, but the Israelis decided to boycott the final to protest the fact that the women’s title game was slated for a substandard gym while the men’s basketball finals were given center stage in Tel Aviv.

“We could have showed up and won by forfeit, but we honored their protest,” Orender said. “What was a gold medal when we had issues to address with our Israeli sisters?”

It is testimonies like those from Orender and Pearl that the officials of Maccabi USA, which pays for the American squad of more than 900 athletes, were hoping would inspire others to help them pay for the games.

Scratch at least one athlete from the list of those heading to Israel, though not because of any cash crunch.

Pearl told the crowd that he tried to recruit his star forward at Tennessee, Wayne Chism, to play for him in Israel. The coach joked that he had Chism, who is not Jewish, on board — until he mentioned that he might need to undergo a circumcision to make the team.

via Washington Jewish Week

At first glance, Josh Pastner might not look like much.

He’s just 31 years old but recently landed the head coaching job at Memphis after one of his mentors, John Calipari, jumped ship to Kentucky. His coaching experience isn’t something that is going to knock you out of your computer chair, but the longevity of it doesn’t compares to what he’s been able to do in his short period as an assistant coach.

Memphis fans should be thrilled to have him.

Pastner hit the coaching world a-running at the University of Arizona after walking on as a player for Lute Olson. A member of the 1997 National Championship game, Pastner, was known for his ties to Houston. Pastner quickly brought players from the city to play for Arizona and was largely responsible for Nic Wise, Fendi Onobun and Garland Judkins all signing on with the Wildcats.

After serving under Olson, Pastner moved to an assistant job at Memphis this past season before taking over as head coach for 2009-2010.

Why does this move help Memphis? Pastner is a known workaholic who enjoys recruiting and has the brain for coaching. Pastner’s father was a local AAU coach in Houston and taught Josh everything he needed to know about the game. Pastner is also a fairly sharp kid, finishing his degree in just two-and-a-half years.

If Calipari brought credibility to Memphis, Pastner brings hope and longevity.

Anyone that has spent a few minutes around the guy knows he is legit. He isn’t the type to say one thing and do another. He will help continue the recent success of Memphis, even with Calipari far from the FedExForum. Pastner has seen the Final Four as both a player and coach, and that means a lot when you walk into the house of a top recruit to tell them you’re the guy who will take them to the promised land.

He might not be a big name, but he’s a guy who can do big things. The Tigers are facing a talent drain as top recruits Xavier Henry and Nolan Dennis and Memphis-lean John Wall are all re-considering their options, while DeMarcus Cousins has already committed to Calipari’s newest team. But Memphis should remain on the list for any blue-chip talent. Josh Pastner could quickly become the next big thing in college coaching.

via AOL FanHouse