Lamont Smith, head coach for the University of San Diego men’s basketball program, announced the hiring of one more assistant coach to his staff on Tuesday afternoon. Joining him on the Toreros staff will be Chris Gerlufsen, who will join newly hired Sam Scholl and Russell Springmann on Smith’s staff for this upcoming season, as well as Ryan Harbour, who is staying on in the position of Director of Basketball Operations.

“Chris Gerlufsen is another outstanding, high character addition to our coaching staff and basketball program,” stated Smith. “His experience in helping build the Hartford basketball program will help us immensely. Chris brings a wealth of knowledge in recruiting, coaching, and day to day basketball operations. Coaching, is in his blood lines as his father served as the head coach at UMass and Shepherd College. I’m excited to welcome such a well-rounded coach to our staff.”

Gerlufsen joins the Torero staff after an eight-year stint at Harford University, including the past two years as the Associate Head Coach under head coach John Gallagher. In his eight seasons with the Hawks, Gerlufsen’s primary responsibilities have included working with both the perimeter and post players as well as serving as the staff’s recruiting coordinator.

Accountable for tapping into the Texas pipeline over the last few years, Gerlufsen has attracted several quality basketball players to Hartford from the Lone Star State. Among the student-athletes on that list are forward Mark Nwakamma, a 2012-13 America East All-Conference First Team pick, as well as guards Wes Cole, Evan Cooper and Yolonzo Moore II.

During his tenure at Hartford, Gerlufsen has helped implement a perimeter-oriented motion offense for the Hawks, which has accounted for six consecutive seasons with 225 or more made three pointers, including a school-record 312 in the 2007-08 campaign, which also set an America East Conference record. Last season’s squad drained 235 shots from long range, the fourth-most in Hartford’s Division I era.

Gerlufsen has also been instrumental in the development of Hartford’s defense, which in 2012-13, held opponents to a stingy 61.2 points per game, a mark that proved to be a Division I school record. Holding opponents to 60 points or less 15 times that season while conceding 50 points or less on six occasions, the Hawks’ defense was one of the calling cards to that season’s success.

Forcing opponents into turnovers in 24.4 percent of its possessions, the Hawks were 11th in the nation in 2012-13 while ranking 21st nationally after forcing 16 turnovers per contest, a league-high. Hartford also finished on top of the America East in steals, snagging 8.2 per game.

Several other Hawks have had individual success under Gerlufsen’s guidance including Joe Zeglinski and Milton Burton, a pair of 2011 graduates. Zeglinski garnered postseason all-conference honors four times during his collegiate career, including America East All-Conference First Team honors as well as a nod to the All-Rookie Team. Burton, a point guard, earned a spot on the conference’s All-Defense Team after topping the league in steals averaging 2.2 per game while ranking in the top-20 in both scoring and rebounding.

Prior to his arrival at Hartford, Gerlufsen spent five years as an assistant at The Citadel as a member of head coach Pat Dennis’ staff. He joined the staff in 2000 as a graduate assistant coach and worked his way to the top assistant spot by the 2003-04 season.

While at The Citadel, he had on-floor coaching responsibilities with the guards and wings and coached five 1,000-point scorers and two freshmen of the year. He also acted as the recruiting coordinator and assisted in scheduling.

A 1998 graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., Gerlufsen played for Hal Nunnaly, who won over 400 career games. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., he was a starting guard for two and one-half seasons and served as the team captain during both his junior and senior seasons. Gerlufsen ranked ninth all-time in steals for the Yellow Jackets and was a member of the team that was ranked third nationally in scoring defense. He helped Randolph-Macon to the NCAA Division III Tournament twice, once in 1996 and again in 1998.

 

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