Bzdelik Names Four Assistants to MBB Coaching Staff
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BOULDER - University of Colorado men's basketball head coach Jeff Bzdelik has announced the addition of three assistant coaches and a director of basketball operations to his staff for the 2007-08 season.
Bzdelik was named the 17th CU men's basketball head coach on April 4.
Those named to the CU staff are assistant coach Charles Baker, who spent six years under former Kansas State head coach Jim Wooldridge; Derrick Clark, who spent the last two seasons with Bzdelik at the Air Force Academy; and Steve McClain, the former head men's basketball coach at the University of Wyoming for the last nine years.
Also joining the coaching staff is the Director of Basketball Operations, Jody Bailey. Bailey served the 2006-07 season under Bzdelik at Air Force.
"I can not be more excited and thrilled about the experience, professionalism, knowledge and leadership skills that we have put together with the four men that I have on my staff," Bzdelik said. "It is truly a step in the right direction for us as we begin our work here at the University of Colorado."
Steve McClain joins the Colorado coaching staff after serving as the 19th head coach at the University of Wyoming. For nine seasons, McClain led the Cowboy program through one of its most successful periods in school history posting the fifth highest winning percentage (57.7 percent) and achieving a 157-115 record. McClain's teams averaged 17 wins per season through his nine years.
"To have someone like Steve McClain with his successful background as a head coach is a real asset to the University of Colorado," Bzdelik said. "He brings energy, experience, leadership and knowledge."
McClain and his Wyoming teams won 18 or more games five times with a trio of consecutive 20-win seasons from 2000-2003 marking the first time three 20-win seasons was accomplished in 15 years on the Laramie campus. His Wyoming squads were consistent contenders in the conference race during his tenure finishing in the top half in six of nine seasons.
In four of his nine seasons, Wyoming appeared in postseason play advancing to the second round in the 1999 National Invitational Tournament, 2002 NCAA Tournament and 2003 NIT. The Cowboys also appeared in the 2001 NIT.
In conference play, McClain's teams captured two of the first seven Mountain West Conference titles, sharing the title for the 2000-01 season and winning it outright in 2001-02. The outright title in 2001-02 was Wyoming's first outright championship in 20 years.
McClain, 44, coached two All-Americans during his stint in Laramie. Josh Davis was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American in his senior season of 2001-02. Prior to the 2002-03 season, Marcus Bailey was one of only 50 players nationally named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-America team.
In five of nine seasons at least one Cowboy earned All-Mountain West Conference first-team honors: Josh Davis (1999-2000 and 2000-01); Marcus Bailey (2000-01 and 2001-02); Uche Nsonwu-Amadi (2002-03); Donta Richardson (2002-03) and Jay Straight (2004-05).
The high point of the Cowboys' return to national prominence was Wyoming's appearance in the 2002 NCAA Tournament marking the school's first appearance since 1988. Wyoming's first round win over No. 6 ranked Gonzaga, 73-66, on March 14, 2002, was Wyoming's first NCAA Tournament win since March 14, 1987. With their first round win in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, the Pokes ended the season among the Top-32 teams in the country.
McClain was also a three-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year recipient in 1999-2000 (MWC media), 2000-01 (CollegeInsider.com) and 2001-02 (league coaches).
Born August 15, 1962, McClain is a native of Orient, Iowa and is a 1984 graduate of Chadron State College.
Derrick Clark begins his third year under Bzdelik after serving the previous two seasons as an integral part of the Falcons' coaching success helping the Academy to the NCAA Tournament (2005-06) and National Invitational Tournament Final Four (2006-07). The Falcons overall record of 50-16 (.758) and a 22-10 (.688) conference mark are the best two-year span in school history.
While at USAFA, Clark was responsible with recruiting, team scouting and on the floor coaching, including player development and camp organization.
"Derrick is a rising star in this business; his energy and professionalism takes a back seat to no one," said Bzdelik. "His foundation as a coach is under the tutelage of Mike Dunlap."
Prior to the Academy, Clark, 36, spent eight seasons from 1997 through 2005 with the Metro State basketball program, including the last five as a full-time assistant coach. He oversaw Metro State's recruiting efforts, the development of post players and office administration. He also handled all the travel arrangements and worked with academics and scouting.
Clark was vital in the Roadrunners' transformation into a Division II powerhouse. He helped the Roadrunners and head coach Mike Dunlap capture two NCAA Division II championships (1999-2000 and 2001-02) and three other trips to the Division II Elite Eight, including a runner-up finish in 1998-99.
Prior to coaching, Clark played for the Shepparton Gators, a professional basketball team in Australia in 1995-96. While there, he led the VBL (Victorian Basketball League) in scoring, finished in the top five in rebounds and was a member of the VBL All-Star Team and runner-up in the MVP voting. During his stint in Shepparton, Clark organized and ran various after-school basketball clinics.
Born March 3, 1971, Clark earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 1995 from California Lutheran University, where he played basketball for Dunlap. In his two seasons at Cal-Lutheran, he was named to the 1993-94 All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first team and led the Kingsmen to two Division III Sweet 16 appearances.
Rounding out the coaching staff will be Charles Baker. Baker spent the 2006-07 season at Louisiana Tech where was also an assistant from 1998-2000 and helped the Bulldogs to the 1999 Sun Belt title. During the 2000-2006 years, Baker was an assistant at Kansas State under former head coach Jim Wooldridge.
"Charles brings 20-plus years of experience as a very successful recruiter, a former head coach and a long-time assistant with vast knowledge of the Big 12," Bzdelik said. "He too, is a welcome addition to the University of Colorado."
During his tenure in Manhattan, Baker, 40, helped assemble three Top-25 recruiting classes during his last five seasons, including the nation's best class in 2002-03 according to Hoop Scoop magazine. Baker has helped recruit three consensus Top-100 players to Kansas State the last three years, including former Parade All-American Cartier Martin (second team All-Big 12 in back-to-back seasons and the Big 12's inaugural Sixth Man of the Year in 2006-07). He also played a major role in recruiting Jeremiah Massey, who was an All-Big 12 second team selection by both the coaches and media in 2004-05, after earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honor from The Associated Press and Dallas Morning News as a junior.
Before Baker's tenure at Louisiana Tech, he coached at Shorter Junior College for five seasons, turning a 1-29 team into a consistent winner. At Shorter, he led his teams to four consecutive Arkansas State Junior College championships, four straight 20-win seasons and a 121-31 (.796) record.
Baker started his coaching career in 1990 as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, Tenn. During his short time at MTSU, he helped guide the Blue Raiders to a 21-9 overall record and a 6-6 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.
After MTSU, Baker served one season as an assistant to head coach Ronald "Fang" Mitchell at Coppin State in Baltimore, Md., from 1991-92.
A 1990 graduate of Eastern Kentucky, Baker earned a bachelor's in physical education.
Jody Bailey, 35, enters his first season in Boulder as the Director of Basketball Operations. While at Air Force, Bailey was the men's and women's basketball programs video coordinator and assisted with the team's scouting.
He has over 14 years of coaching experience at many different levels. Prior to the Academy, Bailey served two years as an NBA regional scout for Marty Blake and Associates from 2004-06. He was the head basketball coach at Eagle's Landing Christian Academy from 2002-04, a college preparatory school in McDonough, Ga.
"Jody also comes to Colorado with a wealth of experience beginning with a Hall of Fame coach at Louisville (Denny Crum)," said Bzdelik. "Jody will handle the monitoring of the student-athletes academic progress, the CU basketball camps and the daily operation of our men's basketball program."
Prior to his head coaching in McDonough, Bailey was an assistant coach at Tennessee Temple University from 1999-2002 in Chattanooga, Tenn. where he assisted head coach Kevin Templeton to a 63-37 record.
Bailey also spent one year (1998-99) as a volunteer assistant coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky. where he helped the Panthers to 35-2 record and the NCAA Division II national title.
Bailey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Louisville, where he received a bachelor's degree in physical education, then earned a masters degree in physical education and sports administration from Louisville in 1997.
From 1993-95, he was a volunteer assistant coach for the Cardinals under Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum.
Steve McClain Year-by-Year Coaching Career at Wyoming
Season School W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Conf. Finish
1998-99 Wyoming 18-10 .643 7-7 .500 t-4th NIT Second Round
1999-2000 Wyoming 19-12 .613 8-6 .571 t-4th Semifinals of MWC Tournament
2000-01 Wyoming 20-10 .667 10-4 .714 t-1st NIT First Round
2001-02 Wyoming 22-9 .710 11-3 .786 1st NCAA Second Round
2002-03 Wyoming 21-11 .656 8-6 .571 3rd NIT Second Round
2003-04 Wyoming 11-17 .393 4-10 .286 t-7th First Round of MWC Tournament
2004-05 Wyoming 15-13 .536 7-7 .500 t-4th First Round of MWC Tournament
2005-06 Wyoming 14-18 .438 5-11 .312 7th MWC Championship Game
2006-07 Wyoming 17-15 .531 7-9 .438 5th Semifinals of MWC Tournament
Totals 157-115 .577 67-63 .515 1 NCAA, 3 NIT Appearances
McClain vs. All Opponents
Overall 157-115 .577
At Home 102-27 .791
On the Road 33-72 .314
Neutral Sites 22-16 .579
McClain vs. Conference Opponents (Including Conference Tournaments)
Regular Season 67-63 .515 At Home 46-19 .708
Postseason Conference Tournament 6-8 .429 On the Road 21-45 .318
Overall 73-71 .507 Neutral Sites 6-7 .462
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