Case Western Reserve University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Sean McDonnell has announced the hiring of Rudy Kirbus as the program’s new assistant coach.
A former standout student-athlete at John Carroll University, Kirbus replaces Jeff Gorski, who was named head coach at Clarkson University (N.Y.) late last month.
Most recently, Kirbus served as assistant to the athletic director/assistant coach at his high school alma mater, Saint Ignatius. He also coached in a graduate assistant capacity at JCU from 2012-14.
"We’re excited to have Rudy as a part of our program," said McDonnell. "I’ve known him since his days as a student-athlete at Saint Ignatius, and he has obvious local ties that will greatly benefit our program. His experiences both as a student-athlete and a coach have prepared him well to mentor our young men."
Kirbus was an assistant coach for varsity basketball and freshman football at Saint Ignatius. He was also responsible for game management and assisted with the school’s broadcasting network and athletics website.
As a collegiate player (2006-10), Kirbus was a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference performer who helped the Blue Streaks to three consecutive OAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. He ranked sixth all-time in JCU history with 1,358 points. During his high school days, he was a two-time All-Ohio quarterback in football and finished as Saint Ignatius’ all-time leading scorer in basketball.
"I’m honored for the opportunity to coach at such a prestigious university," said Kirbus. "Case Western Reserve student-athletes accomplish great things on the court and in the classroom, and I am excited to contribute to that process."
In addition to his positions at JCU and Saint Ignatius, Kirbus also made stops at the Mid-American Conference as a men’s basketball operations assistant (2011-12) and at Beachwood High School as an assistant coach (2011-12).
A native of nearby Willoughby Hills, Kirbus earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from JCU in 2010 as well as a Master of Education in 2014.
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