Following up on some “dirt” from back on August 10th (NJIT DIRT)….
It’s now been made official that Stephen Sauers, a veteran coach with 25 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, has joined the NJIT men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach head coach Brian Kennedy announced.
Prior to his arrival at NJIT, Sauers served two seasons as head coach for Canarias Basketball Academy in Gran Canarias, Spain, where he guided the team to a 25-7 record in 2016-17. CBA, the academy in Europe, has sent over 70 players to Division I institutions in the last eight years.
“Coach Sauers brings with him over 25 years experience as a Division 1 assistant coach,” Kennedy commented. “He has a great reputation amongst his peers and his successes at Marist, Iona and Seton Hall speaks volumes of his coaching abilities. Steve’s hiring adds another tremendous asset for the NJIT MBB program and our student-athletes as we continue to strive for excellence in the ASUN conference and beyond.”
At UC Riverside, Sauers spent two seasons as top assistant (2013-15) before serving as the Interim Assistant Coach and Director of Basketball Operations at Seton Hall (2010-13) and Assistant Coach at Iona College (2008-10).
Sauers re-joined the Seton Hall men’s basketball staff for two seasons (2006-07; 2007-08) as Director of Basketball Operations and Basketball Camps after a year at the Hoop Group, the largest basketball instruction organization in the world.
At the Hoop Group, he was responsible for the recruitment of high school student-athletes to all company events, and was Director of the Eastern Invitational Camps and Top 100 clinics, including site Director for all high school and AAU tournaments.
As head coach at United States Military Academy Prep School in 2004-05, Saures led the team to a school-best 16 wins.
Sauers’ got involved with coaching at Marist upon graduation from University at Albany in 1990. He moved up the ladder, starting as a Graduate Assistant Coach (1990-91), Assistant Coach (1993-96), Senior Assistant Coach (1996-01) and Associate Head Coach (2001-04).
At Marist, the Red Foxes made an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament in 1996 and captured the 2000 MAAC regular season title during his tenure. He was responsible for recruiting 17 All-League performers, including 2007 MAAC and Met Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year Jared Jordan, who was drafted 45th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sauers gained international coaching experience, coaching for the Junior and Senior Nigerian National teams as an assistant from 1992-96.
His father, Hall of Fame Coach Richard “Doc” Sauers, was a legendary coach at University at Albany (then New York State College at Albany) from 1955-97, winning over 700 games. Sauers is among the top 40 winningest college coaches in NCAA history.
Sauers, a player at Albany under his father, was a two-year starter, captain and team MVP as a senior and helped the Great Danes to a four-year record of 77-34. The Great Danes advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (1990), ECAC Champions (1989) and second-place finish in ECAC (1987).
http://www.njithighlanders.com/news/2017/8/11/stephen-sauers-joins-njit-mens-basketball-staff.aspx
