Doug Novsek has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, announced Idaho men’s basketball Head Coach, Zac Claus.
“Doug has been an absolutely incredible asset to our program from day one and it was a slam dunk to promote him to Associate Head Coach. I am so grateful to him for coming here a year ago to be a part of our staff. I have had the good fortune of working alongside Doug for ten years and I cherish my time with him,” said Coach Claus. “Moving forward, to have him, his terrific wife Cheryl, son Derek, daughter Jordyn and grandson Maverick all part of Vandal basketball, could not make me any happier.”
Novsek joined the Vandals during the summer of 2019 as an assistant coach,bringing 30 years of coaching experience to the Palouse.
During the 2019-20 season, Novsek played a key role in a coaching staff that helped improve the Vandals’ win total and winning percentage from the previous year. Idaho had the third best three-point shooting percentage during the league schedule.
Novsek also worked closely with Trevon Allen, who had a record-breaking senior season in which he finished the year second in the Big Sky and 15th in the country in scoring average (21.6 ppg), earning a spot on the All-BSC Second Team. Allen finished the season seventh in the conference in three-pointers per game (2.1).
“Doug is tremendous on the court with our guys, has made an immediate impact with his recruiting efforts here and there is no one better to create a laugh than Doug. I lean on him every day and am lucky to call him a friend. Another great day to be a Vandal,” said Claus.
Prior to Idaho, Novsek spent one season as a quality control consultant with Southern Illinois, his alma mater. The Salukis went 17-15 in 2018-19, including 10-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Novsek also coached for three seasons at the University of Evansville. The Purple Aces went 58-41 during the three-year stretch, including a 25-9 mark and a trip to the MVC Championship Game in 2015-16.
A nine-year stint with the University of Nevada helped Novsek make a name for himself. He spent three seasons as an assistant with the Wolf Pack before being elevated to associate head coach for his final six years. While in Reno, he helped Nevada to three Western Athletic Conference regular season championships and five postseason appearances. He also coached six student-athletes that would go on to the NBA, including first round selections JaVale McGee and Luke Babbitt.
https://govandals.com/news/2020/7/21/mens-basketball-novsek-named-associate-head-coach.aspx
