Butler men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann, coming off a successful first season, has added one assistant and retained another to complete his full-time staff for 2015-16. Holtmann announced the appointments of former Illinois Special Assistant to the Head Coach Ryan Pedon as an assistant coach and former Butler graduate assistant Emerson Kampen as basketball analyst.
Pedon, boasting 13 years of collegiate coaching experience, spent the past two seasons on the staff at Illinois under Head Coach (and former Butler assistant) John Groce. Prior to his stint at Illinois, he served for three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Toledo and for five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami, Ohio. He also spent three seasons as Director of Basketball Operations at Kent State and two years as a graduate assistant at Miami, Ohio.
“We are excited about adding Ryan to our staff. Ryan is a tireless worker and brings terrific and broad experience. He could not have come more highly recommended from everyone he has worked for,” said Holtmann. “His success in recruiting, player development and coaching, as well as his understanding and appreciation for Butler University make him a great fit with our program.”
During Pedon’s time at Toledo, the Rockets made an incredible jump from four wins in 2010-11 to 19 wins, including the school’s first postseason victory in 11 years, in 2011-12. That turnaround was the second best in the nation! In his final season at Toledo, the Rockets tied for first in the MAC’s West Division, securing the school’s first division title and most conference wins since 2007.
Pedon experienced similar success at Miami, Ohio, where he helped the Redhawks to winning conference records in all five seasons. The RedHawks won the MAC Tournament title in 2007 and earned the school’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1999. And during his time at Kent State, the Golden Flashes recorded three 20-win seasons and finished first in the MAC’s East Division in both 2003 and 2004.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Pedon played college basketball at Wooster (Ohio). He was a three-year varsity letterwinner and helped the Fighting Scots to three regular season North Coast Athletic Conference championships and three NCAA Division III Tournament bids. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wooster in 2000 and a master’s degree in sport organization from Miami, Ohio, in 2002. He and his wife, Stephanie, have a son, Maddox.
Kampen, a 2013 Butler graduate and former Butler basketball player, began the 2014-15 season as a graduate assistant for the Bulldogs. He stepped in to fill an assistant coach position, when Holtmann was elevated to head coach just prior to the start of the season, and he helped the Bulldogs to a 23-11 season, a tie for second place in the BIG EAST and a berth in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Butler posted a second round win in the national tournament, before falling to Notre Dame in overtime in the Round of 32.
“We are very excited to retain Emerson Kampen in this new position,” stated Holtmann. “Emerson stepped into a very important role from a GA to assistant coach this past fall and performed exceptionally well. He adds great value to our staff and he continues to learn and grow in this profession as a young coach. He has a very bright future!”
A former Yorktown High School basketball standout, Kampen was a four-year letterwinner and five-year team member with the Bulldogs, 2008-13. He played on Butler’s two Final Four teams, and he served as a co-captain on the Bulldogs’ 2012-13 team, which posted a 27-9 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. During his five seasons at Butler, the Bulldogs compiled a 136-45 record and made five straight postseason tournament appearances.
http://butlersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/2014-15/releases/20150427jlvrsf
