Greg Gary Named USF Men's Basketball Assistant Coach

Greg Gary, an assistant at the University of Miami the last four years, has joined the USF basketball staff. His first day on the job is Monday.

"We are elated to add Greg Gary to our staff," said USF head coach Robert McCullum. "His background and his experience will add greatly to our program. He has an extremely rich background in basketball. He is a native of Indiana and he is from a strong basketball family as his older brother played at Vanderbilt and Greg played at Tulane."

Gary played three seasons at Tulane (1989-90 through 1991-92) for Perry Clark. He joined Clark’s Tulane staff in 1993 and spent six seasons there (1993-94 through 1996-97 and 1998-99 through 1999-00). He was also an assistant at McNeese State one season (1997-98).

"He is a well-rounded coach with a very good basketball mind. He is a teacher and an avid student of the game," said McCullum. "Greg has come as highly recommended as any assistant coach that I’ve ever hired. So many of my peers that I contacted as well as those that contacted me, their thoughts and comments were just overwhelming. They speak so highly of him."

McCullum also finds Gary’s experience in the Big East Conference enticing. USF moves into the Big East beginning with the 2004-06 season.

"He has recruited in the Big East Conference while at Miami over the last four years, he has prepared for opponents at the Big East level," said McCullum. "I like his experience and his knowledge of the Big East."

At the end Gary's Tulane career, he was the school’s all-time assist leader (he is currently No. 4 on the Tulane career assist list with 370). He led the Green Wave to the NCAA Tournament his senior season. As an assistant coach, Gary helped Tulane to a pair of NIT appearances in 1999 and 2000 and Miami to an NIT bid in 2001 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002.

"Coach McCullum has been successful everywhere he’s been and I’m just excited to have the opportunity to work with him," said Gary. "I’m looking forward to working with the staff he has assembled as well as with the student-athletes."

"USF and Tampa have so many great things you can sell that a kid will like, especially now going into Big East. It is certainly going to be one of the best conferences in the country. There really are so many positives that are going to help building the program. I’m just real excited. There are an awful lot of positives about the basketball situation at USF. I keep saying there are a lot of positives, but I really believe that."