CSUN Men’s Basketball head coach Mark Gottfried finalized his coaching staff with the additions of former National Coach of the Year Jim Harrick, 30-year collegiate coach Jeff Dunlap and NBA champion Mo Williams. The trio will serve as assistant coaches for the 2018-19 season.
“I’m excited that we’ve put together a strong, experienced staff where each person brings something different to the table that I think will be great for Northridge,” said Gottfried. “It’s a staff that has a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience that collectively as a group we’ll be really strong. This will be a group that our players will benefit greatly from.”
“Obviously Jim is a national championship coach, that in my opinion should be in the hall of fame, and he’s extremely excited about doing what we’re doing. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge” added Gottfried. “Mo Williams is a former player of mine. I recruited and coached Mo, and throughout his NBA career we were very close. He is going to be a tremendous asset as far as what he can bring to each individual player. Jeff Dunlap also has a great deal of experience. He’s coached at a lot of different levels of college basketball. Jeff did an outstanding job in the National Basketball League of Canada as a head coach, and he took a franchise that never existed to the final four. From coaching, recruiting and community involvement, I’m extremely excited about the staff.”
A collegiate coaching career that spans three decades, Harrick has led four programs to the NCAA Tournament, won nine conference championships and collected 470 career victories. In 1995, with Gottfried as his assistant, Harrick led UCLA to its first National Championship in 20 years.
Harrick began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant, first with Utah State (1973-77) then with UCLA (1977-79) before taking over head coaching duties at Pepperdine (1979-88). A four-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, Harrick led the program to five WCC titles and to four NCAA Tournament berths.
In 1988, Harrick returned to UCLA as a head coach and would go on to lead the Bruins to eight NCAA Tournament appearances. He guided UCLA to a 31-2 record and the school’s 11th National Championship in 1995. Harrick also led the Bruins to two Elite Eight and three Sweet 16 appearances during his time in Westwood. He left UCLA in 1996 as the school’s second-winningest head coach in program history (192 wins), behind only John Wooden.
After a one-year hiatus, Harrick spent the next two years as the head coach of Rhode Island (1997-99) where he led the Rams to two NCAA Tournament berths including an Elite Eight appearance. Harrick moved on to Georgia in 1999 and coached his fourth program to the NCAA Tournament in 2001. After Georgia, Harrick worked as a scout for the Denver Nuggets and helped develop basketball in China.
“I’m excited to be back coaching the game again alongside such an experienced coaching staff that I’ve had the privilege of working with before,” said Harrick. “I look forward to helping the student-athletes and assisting with their development here at CSUN.”
A successful coach and recruiter, Dunlap served as head coach and general manager of the St. John’s Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada last season. Dunlap led the Edge to a 30-19 record and a trip to the divisional finals before falling to the eventual two-time league champions in six games. He was named Executive of the Year last season and earned a pair of Coach of the Month nods.
Dunlap has coached in the SEC, Mid-American Conference, Horizon League and Big West as well as in the Division II and junior college ranks in his extensive coaching career.
Dunlap worked under Gottfried for six seasons at NC State from 2011-17, helping the Wolfpack advance to the Sweet 16 twice. He also assisted Gottfried at Alabama (2007-09) for two seasons, first as the team’s director of basketball operations before he was promoted to assistant coach.
Dunlap had two coaching stints at Western Michigan (2004-07, 2010-11) and made a stop at Georgia from 1999-03, working under Harrick. He also coached at Loyola-Chicago (1998-99, 2003-04), Fullerton College (1997-98), Cal State Fullerton (1994-97), Quincy University (1991-94) and the College of the Canyons (1989-91).
Prior to his coaching career, Dunlap was a three-year letterwinner at UCLA from 1983-86 as he played for Larry Farmer and Walt Hazzard. Dunlap helped the Bruins win the 1985 NIT Championship and he was the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award in 1986.
“I’m elated to join forces with Mark Gottfried, coach Harrick and Mo Williams. I think we have assembled a top notch staff,” said Dunlap. “This promises to be an exciting time for Matadors basketball. I’m from the San Fernando Valley and I look forward to establishing something special right here at home.”
A proven winner at every level, Williams enjoyed a prosperous 13-year NBA career including an NBA Championship season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Prior to his pro career, Williams played for Gottfried at Alabama from 2002-03 where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the SEC regular season title as a freshman. He was named Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002 as he guided the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He would go on to post a career-best 16.4 points per game during his sophomore season before entering the 2003 NBA Draft.
Drafted by Utah, Williams would play his rookie season with the Jazz before spending the next four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams played three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-11) where he teamed up with LeBron James and helped the Cavs post a league-best 66 wins in 2008-09. Williams was selected to the NBA All-Star Game in his first season with Cleveland.
After stints with the Los Angeles Clippers (2011-12), Portland Trail Blazers (2013-14), Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-15) and Charlotte Hornets (2015), Williams returned to Cleveland for the 2015-16 campaign. In his final season in the NBA, Williams and the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in seven games to win the 2016 NBA Finals.
“I’m excited for the next phase of my life personally and for the next phase of CSUN Basketball,” said Williams. “I’m looking forward to learning from an experienced coaching staff in hall of fame coach Jim Harrick, Jeff Dunlap and Mark Gottfried that all have a history of success in college basketball.”
