Urbana University Athletic Director Doug Young appointed Rob Summers as the new Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Summers becomes the ninth head coach in the program’s 50th season.
“Today, there is a renewed excitement surrounding our men’s basketball program,” said Young upon the announcement. “Rob Summers brings a wealth of talent and experience to Urbana University. When he visited campus, it was immediately apparent that he was the perfect fit to restore this program’s proud history.”
“I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to become the next Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Urbana University,” explained Summers upon his hiring. “Being from Columbus, Ohio, I know the wealth of talent in the state and surrounding areas, and I believe with the proper coaching and patience, this program can become a solid contender in the Mountain East Conference. It will take a lot of time and energy, but I believe in myself and the players we have coming back, as well as the future Blue Knight recruits.”
Summers comes to Urbana from NCAA Division I James Madison University where he spent the past year as the Dukes’ Director of Men’s Basketball Operations. The 7-footer also has plenty of playing experience at the D-I level.
Summers committed to Penn State out of Gahanna Lincoln High School, playing 56 games for the Nittany Lions from 2002-04. After his sophomore season, Summers decided to transfer to West Virginia University, where he spent the next three years playing under Head Coach John Beilein. Summers experienced a couple of deep tournament runs with talented Mountaineer squads. Summers sat out the 2004-05 season as a transfer when the Mountaineers reached the NCAA Elite Eight. He appeared in 33 games in his first season with WVU in 2005-06 as the team reached the Sweet 16.
Summers put together his best individual season as a senior when West Virginia won the NIT Championship. His .633 field goal percentage still stands as the second-best mark in program history. The team captain made 36 starts and posted career highs in points and rebounds.
Following his time at WVU, Summers was selected by the Iowa Energy in the 2007 NBA Development League Draft. He ultimately decided to compete overseas with stops in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
The three-time Big East Academic All-Star received his bachelor’s degree in sports management from WVU in 2007 and later achieved his master’s in athletic coaching education from WVU in 2012.
Prior to his stint at JMU, Summers served as Associate Head Coach and Compliance Coordinator at Glenville State College, a new conference foe of Urbana’s in the Mountain East Conference.
At Glenville State, Summers joined a team that finished 5-21 during the 2010-11 season. The Pioneers improved to 8-19 in his first season, 13-16 in his second season, and this past year, the Pioneers were one of three MEC squads to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament after posting an 18-10 regular season mark. The national tournament appearance was the first in school history.
Summers will face a similar task to turnaround the Blue Knights. Urbana will enter the 2014-15 season with an active 32-game losing streak after suffering a winless campaign this past winter. However, it shouldn’t be long before Urbana earns its way back into the win column. The program has experienced victory 615 times over 49 seasons, including an average of 11 wins a year since joining the D-II ranks. Summers and the Blue Knights began their second season of MEC basketball this coming November.
Summers added, “I am going to make sure that Urbana Men’s Basketball is identified by high character, as well as its high energy. We are going to be entertaining and competitive in this league. Being a former assistant coach in this league, I understand how hard it is to win. Coming off a down year, we are going to focus on rebuilding this program from the ground floor, creating a culture of basketball that will make Urbana University and the community proud."
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