Yesterday, HoopDirt.com mentioned some of the staff moves at UC Irvine (UC Irvine Dirt). In addition to those moves, head coach Russell Turner has also hired former Old Dominion Head Coach Blaine Taylor as an assistant coach. He will replace Nick Booker who departed for his alma mater Davidson College where he has become the Director of Basketball Operations. Taylor was the head coach at ODU from 2001-13 where he compiled a 239-144 record. He also spent seven seasons as the head coach at Montana (141-66).
I have also heard that Pat Flesher will become the new Director of Basketball Administration for the Anteaters. The former manager at Pepperdine was most recently the Director of Basketball Operations at UNC Greensboro.
To re-cap the UC Irvine moves…
OUT: Associate head Coach Ali Ton (Fordham), Assistant Coach Nick Booker (Davidson), Director of Basketball Operations Ryan Schlaich (private sector).
IN: Assistant Coach Blaine Taylor, Assistant Coach Michael Wilder (promoted from Director of Basketball Administration), Director of Basketball Operations James Blake (former head coach at DII Simon Fraser), Director of Basketball Administration Pat Flesher.