University of Maine men’s basketball head coach Chris Markwood has announced the hiring of assistant coach Peter Gash.

“We are very excited to be welcoming Pete Gash to our staff here at UMaine,” Markwood says. “Pete is a very well-rounded coach who brings a ton of experience with him having coached at every level of Division I basketball. He is a tireless worker, great relationship builder, and someone who knows what it takes to win.”

Gash joins the Black Bears with 15 years of Division I experience at six institutions including stops at Florida Atlantic (2009-14), the University of Florida (2014-15), the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (2015-17), UMass (2017-19), LaSalle University (2019-2021), and Wagner (2021-22).

“I’m extremely excited to serve the student athletes at the University of Maine,” Gash says. “Over the years, I’ve had the chance to develop an authentic relationship with Coach Markwood. When the opportunity presented itself to join the program, it was an easy choice to come to Orono. Chris embodies what’s right in college basketball. He knows what it takes to build a successful program and represent the state of Maine proudly. My family and I are thrilled to become part of the Black Bear family.”

Prior to joining the University of Maine, Gash spent a season on the bench at Wagner where he played a role in guiding the Seahawks, who earned votes in the Associated Press Top-25 poll, to a 21-6 overall mark and a 15-3 record in conference play. Along the way, the Seahawks put together the nation’s longest win streak (17) on their way to an appearance in the Northeast Conference title game. Individually, Gash assisted in the development of three All-NEC selections including one All-NEC first team player.

Gash spent two seasons as the director of player development at LaSalle University where he played a part in the development of Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year honoree, Sherif Kenny.

Gash was the lead assistant during his stint at UMass where he was charged with leading all facets of player development. Through his impressive attention to detail and ability to grow players, Gash was able to evolve Luwane Pipkins into the Atlantic 10’s Most Improved Player after Pipkins elevated his scoring average from 10.2 points per game to 21.1.

From 2015-17, Gash served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, leading the program to an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Southern Conference regular season and tournament title, and the most wins in school history (29) in 2016. In total, the Mocs registered 49 total wins in his two seasons on staff. Under his guidance, Gash mentored the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and a pair of All-SoCon honorees.

In 2009, Gash joined Florida Atlantic as the program’s director of operations before being elevated to an assistant coach prior to the 2011-12 season, a role he held until 2014. In 2011, the Owl’s earned their first National Invitational Tournament (NIT) appearance in school history, tied the program record for wins in a season with 21, and earned the Sun Belt Conference regular season title. Individually, Gash mentored three All-Sun Belt selections and the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. After his stop at Florida Atlantic, Gash moved on to the University of Florida where he served as the team’s video coordinator for one season under Chicago Bulls head coach and NCAA National Championship winning head coach, Billy Donovan.

Gash spent the 2007 season as the video coordinator at LaSalle for former University of Maine head coach, Dr. John Giannini, before joining Tom Crean’s staff as a graduate assistant in 2008.

Gash, a native of Long Island, N.Y., earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in hospitality administration with a specialization in sports management from Lynn University in 2006. Gash, who played with NBA Champion Andrew Bynum at The Solebury School, is married to Alexa. The two are the proud parents of two daughters, Valentina and Luciana.

https://goblackbears.com/news/2022/5/31/pete-gash-named-maine-mens-basketball-assistant-coach.aspx