staff

After two years as Director Basketball Operations, Marshall Cho has decided to get back into coaching.....and you can't blame him, it's something he'd been doing for a number of years prior to coming to UP.

Marshall is held in high esteem by the coaches, players, and student-managers, and he will be greatly missed by all, but as the NCAA does not allow DBO's on the court, it was really a no-brainer for Marshall to return to the coaching ranks.

Marshall will be on campus and coaching UP's basketball camps this summer giving us a chance to say goodbye and thanks.   

Great guy, we were bummed to hear this but understand how passionate he is about coaching.  All the best to Coach Cho.

Sharrief Metoyer (UP '96) has stepped down as head coach at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.  "Doc" as he liked to be called when he was a student at UP, and before he clarified the spelling of his name (not Sharif, but Sharrief), was one of my favorite student athletes at UP and was a wonderful backup PG to Dion Holton.

In ten years as head coach of the Jackrabbits, Metoyer was 238-68 with two CIF championship wins (2004 and 2011), as well as another CIF finals appearance in 2012. Metoyer’s Jackrabbits won five Moore League titles under his tutelage, including four straight from 2010-2013.

I'm not sure Doc would be interested in the vacant DBO position at UP as a possible stepping stone to coaching at the NCAA D-1 level, but I sure hope someone asks him.  IMO, he would be a gangbusters recruiter and coach, given the chance.

DoubleDipper wrote:I'm not sure Doc would be interested in the vacant DBO position at UP as a possible stepping stone to coaching at the NCAA D-1 level, but I sure hope someone asks him.  IMO, he would be a gangbusters recruiter and coach, given the chance.

Hmm. The same school as the Jordan Dallas fella you posted about today. Package deal?

Many PN readers probably remember UP Alum and one time UP player and basketball assistant, Ben Sullivan......well not only did Ben get married last weekend, but today he was hired as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks.

Double congratulations to Ben and Bailee.  

http://soaringdownsouth.com/2014/08/20/charles-lee-and-ben-sullivan-added-to-atlanta-hawks-coaching-staff/

For those of you who haven't seen Coach Reveno since last March....he's become one skinny dude who's been practicing what he's been preaching.

Marshall announced today that he is "humbled and grateful" to be named the new head basketball coach at Lake Oswego! Congrats to Coach Cho as he begins his new journey.

pilotdad1 wrote:Marshall announced today that he is "humbled and grateful" to be named the new head basketball coach at Lake Oswego! Congrats to Coach Cho as he begins his new journey.

From the Oregonian: http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/3459073892309497683/lake-oswego-hires-marshall-cho-as-head-basketball-coach/
LO basketball is in good hands with Coach Cho....great hire, IMO.

https://twitter.com/CoachMikeWolf/status/610831514981412864

Grateful for the opportunity to become Head Coach & College Counselor @CushingAcademy. Thank you @PortlandPilots for 9 amazing years

Prep school in Massachusetts.  Big change from UP. 

However, their tuition may actually be more than UP's!  $53,700 for a boarding student.

I hate to see Coach Wolf leave, but it's really not a complete surprise as being the Special Assistant to the Head Coach didn't involve a lot of coaching, and no recruiting....something he definitely missed.

Coach Wolf graduated from Tufts in Massachusetts and has coached at the exclusive prep school level in the past, so the move may not be as strange as it may seem at first glance

I'm going to miss our conversations, Coach!

Kramer's back!

Kramer Knutson has decided to hang up his jersey at the peak of his playing career and become the Director of Basketball Operations at UP where he will officially begin his new duties on Wednesday.

Kramer began his college career at UP nine years ago and he has returned every summer during his professional career to act as a temporary DBO and/or help with the various UP youth basketball camps....so this is probably the normal progression for him to follow to eventually become a coach.

Cool! A DBO who can kick some Big's butts!

Geezaldinho wrote:Cool! A DBO who can kick some Big's butts!

And one of those new big guys, Colin Russell, arrived yesterday along with his parents, at least 4 sisters and another young lady, and his girl friend.  It was quite an arrival party.

Ray Barreno is on his way from Mexico and should arrive tonight....everyone expects him to be a very BIG presence when he arrives after getting a month's worth of home-cooking.  

DoubleDipper wrote:Kramer's back!

I hope this also means MesaPilot is back

DoubleDipper wrote:Kramer Knutson has decided to hang up his jersey at the peak of his playing career and become the Director of Basketball Operations at UP where he will officially begin his new duties on Wednesday.

I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you I have any clue what a DOBO actually does...but seems to me like getting a four-year pro and former UP starter to do it is a pretty good hire.

Terry Cahill wrote:I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you I have any clue what a DOBO actually does.

Virtually anything and everything, but for Kramer the hard work and dedication he puts into it will eventually result in being a coach somewhere......

Kramer said he was just "tired of living out of a suitcase" and the DBO opportunity was one he couldn't pass up.  Oh, and he's now engaged to an English lass who will be joining him in the coming months....so there is another part of the equation.    

The fun part of the job will find Kramer on the bench during games advising the coaches and charting the game, but the bummer part of being a DBO is he cannot do any on-court coaching.  On the other hand, if his duties are like those of Coach Cho's when he was the DBO, Kramer will be a big part of the players lives and the coaching staff will be depending upon him to keep all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the program running smoothly.

Those who attended the Alumni Game on Saturday were able to meet and greet Coach Mitch Johnson, the newest member of the UP coaching staff.

Coach Johnson will not only add "fresh legs" to the staff when it comes to on-court work, his connections with high school players and coaches should be an asset in the recruiting wars.  A graduate of O'Dea High School in Seattle, Coach Johnson was also the point guard at Stanford, graduating in 2009.  After a brief stint in pro ball, he's been coaching AAU/high school summer ball in the Seattle area.

Coach Herb Brown will no longer be a full-time coach at UP, but I believe he will still advise the staff and provide a link between the UP Athletic Department and the community.

Welcome to UP, Coach Johnson.....

Mike Wolf & Herb Brown ==> Kramer Knutson & Mitch Johnson.  That's an age difference of about 70 years total.  Rev's staff just got a lot younger.

up7587 wrote:Mike Wolf & Herb Brown ==> Kramer Knutson & Mitch Johnson.  That's an age difference of about 70 years total.  Rev's staff just got a lot younger.

It's a much different situation at SMC where Coach Bennett has brought in a wealth of experience to fill the assistant and DBO positions.  

Both newcomers have previous head coaching experience at the D1 level:

http://westcoastconvo.com/2015/07/01/saint-marys-adds-coaching-depth/

There was a lot of celebration by UP this time last year when Herb Brown came on board as an assistant. What happened? One-and-done?

Maybe he decided he didn't want to spend his 80th year living out of a suitcase.

Total speculation on my part, but I would guess that Coach Brown loves coaching, but not the constant requirement to hit the gyms in Hobbs or Lake Worth or even Salt Lake and London looking for the next recruit.

Coach Brown is a young 79, but IMO his talent for advising and mentoring outweighs the effectiveness of his on-court teaching at this point in his life.  His quiet style is certainly appreciated by those players who may not care for Rev's in-your-face with sarcasm style, but having watched hours of practice over the years I can tell you the players respond in positive ways under the tutelage of Coaches Reveno, Jackson, Pfaff, and hopefully now under Coach Johnson too.

DoubleDipper wrote:It's a much different situation at SMC where Coach Bennett has brought in a wealth of experience to fill the assistant and DBO positions.  

And at USD, where new head coach Lamont Smith is apparently going for recruits from Texas....

http://westcoastconvo.com/2015/07/02/reviewing-san-diegos-coaching-staff-overhaul/

Coach Mitch and Coach Kramer (including Kramer's memorable put-back left handed dunk):