IUP head men’s basketball coach Joe Lombardi has announced the hiring of Chuck Harris as one of the program’s assistant coaches. Harris joins the Crimson Hawks after spending the last three seasons at Canisius College.
“It is a blessing and an honor to be joining the coaching staff at IUP,” said Harris. “Coach Lombardi is a phenomenal coach and leader. I am excited to be a part of the winning culture here at the university and I will do the best that I can to help build upon the success of the program. I am proud to be a Crimson Hawk!”
Harris spent the last three seasons as the director of basketball operations at Canisius, helping the Golden Griffins to a 59-42 overall record along with three postseason tournament berths. Harris was responsible for handling the team’s day-to-day operations, which includes practice set-up, team travel plans, video film exchange, opponent breakdown and scouting reports, while overseeing academic progress for the team’s student-athletes.
He was also the director for the Jim Baron Summer Basketball Camps, assisting with the administration of the program’s team camp and elite player camp held each summer.
Harris came to Canisius after spending the spring and summer of 2013 as the head AAU coach for G-Boyz, an eighth and ninth grade program from Livonia, Mich. He spent the 2012-13 basketball season at Inkster High School in Inkster, Mich., where he was an assistant coach for the school’s boy’s varsity basketball program and he also spent time as an assistant coach at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., in 2010. Prior to joining the staff at Schoolcraft, Harris was the head junior varsity and varsity assistant coach with the girl’s basketball team at Osborn High School in Detroit during the 2008-09 campaign.
Harris played collegiately for Canisius, racking up 115 games for the Golden Griffins from 2003-07. He finished his career with 1,090 points, 555 rebounds and 312 assists, earning four varsity letters and earning third team All-MAAC after his senior season. He left the College as one of only three players in program history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. He also ranked fourth all-time with 166 career three-point field goals made.
After graduation, he played the 2007-08 season for the Crailsheim Proveo-Merlins in the German Bundesliga Basketball League before retiring due to injury.
Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in digital media arts in 2007 and is married to the former Ms. Sharnita Grays.
Harris joins Joey Cantens as fellow first year assistant coaches under Lombardi, who will enter his 10th year at IUP with a 204-77 (.726) overall record.
