Arizona Basketball and head coach Sean Miller have announced the addition of former Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar to the Wildcats’ staff as associate head coach. Romar spent 15 seasons at the helm of the Husky program, amassing a record of 298-196 in Seattle with three Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
“It’s an exciting day for Arizona Basketball to be able to welcome Lorenzo Romar and his family to our basketball family,” said head coach Sean Miller. “Lorenzo’s accomplishments in this game speak for themselves, including his successful tenure as the head coach at Washington for the last 15 seasons. However, his dedication to his players, passion for this game and impeccable character is what everybody that knows him loves about him. He will no doubt make a significant impact in all aspects of our basketball program as we continue to build and improve in all that we do.”
Romar, a native of Southern California, is a nationally-recognized recruiter who coached 13 NBA Draft picks during his time in Seattle, including ten first round selections. He led UW to six NCAA Tournament appearances and is the second-winningest coach in program history with nearly 300 victories. The 2005 Husky team finished with a record of 29-6, tying the program record for most wins in a season. Washington won a pair of regular season conference champions under Romar while winning back-to-back Pac-12 Tournaments in 2010 and 2011.
“Of all the potential opportunities that were out there for me, joining the Arizona program was the one that was the most appealing,” Romar said. “I truly believe Sean Miller is one of the best coaches in America. The opportunity to join him, his staff and the rich tradition of Arizona Basketball is something that I’m extremely excited about.”
His overall head coaching record includes 391 wins over 21 seasons encompassing his time at Pepperdine (1996-99) and Saint Louis (1999-2002). Romar became the first coach in Saint Louis history to win the conference tournament and earn a NCAA Tournament berth in his first season as head coach.
Romar was a basketball letter winner at the University of Washington from 1978 to 1980 before playing five seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. His appointment to the UA staff comes after Joe Pasternack left to become the head coach at UC Santa Barbara.
