USD Men's Basketball 2009-2010

BILL GRIER HEAD COACH I THIRD SEASON I 38-30 OVERALL RECORD

Bill Grier,46,enters his third year as head coach of the USO men's basketball program.This past season he guided the Toreros to a 16-16 record and he enters the 2009-10 campaign with a 38- 30 career mark. Last year's season was highlighted with wins over Nevada, Oregon, Mississippi State and Pacific in the program's first-ever ESPNU BracketBuster's game. In his first season (2007-08) at the helm of the Torero program, Grier led Torero basketball to heights never reached before. USO became the first San Diego Division I team to win an NCAA Tournament contest when it handed No. 4 seed Connecticut a 70-69 overtime loss on March 21st. Following a hard-fought 2nd round loss to Western Kentucky, USO closed out its season with an overall record of 22-14, including a 15-4 mark following the start of league. Following its 11-3 West Coast Conference finish, good for 3rd place, the Toreros won the WCCTournament

with wins over Pepperdine, Saint Mary's and No. 20 Gonzaga. In addition to its outstand- ing road win over the Kentucky Wildcats at historic Rupp Arena in late December, the Toreros combined to knock off three top-20 teams (Saint Mary's, Gonzaga and UConn). Hired on March 26, 2007, Grier became USD's 11th head coach in program his– tory and just the 4th coach since USO moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1979-80. Prior to his arrival at USO, Grier was at Gonzaga University for sixteen years, the last eight as top assistant to head coach Mark Few. He immediately went to work on putting his personal stamp on To– rero basketball. After assembling an outstanding staff,and getting ac– quainted with USD's returning players, he went to work on recruiting and putting together arguably USD's toughest schedule ever. "We we re searching for a person with an overwhelming drive to suc– ceed," said Ky Snyder, USO Executive Director of Athletics."We found that and much more in Bill Grier. The people I talked with across the coun– try, people who I greatly respect, had nothing but praise for Bill - a great person and family man, a teacher who is great at individual workouts, a tireless worker, demanding on the court but also w ith success in the class– room, a great recruiter,thorough in his approach, ready to become a head coach. It is with great pleasure that I am able to introduce the man that fits all of these descriptions as our new head men's basketball coach." A highly motivated, detailed and results oriented basketball coach with excellent communication and teaching skills, Grier played an integral role in Gonzaga's arrival on the national scene. He began his career at Gonzaga in 1992 under head coach Dan Fitzgerald where he served as the restricted -ea rnings assistant for six years. He was elevated to a full– time assistant for the 1997-98 season when Dan Monson took over the head coaching reigns. During his two seasons under Monson, the Bulldogs went 52-17, won back-to-back wee titles, went to the 1998 NIT Sweet Six– teen and made it to the 1999 NCAA Elite Eight. In July, 1999, when Monson accepted the Minnesota job, Mark Few was made the head coach and Grier stayed where he was promoted to top assistant. Over the past eight years Gonzaga saw nothing but continued success w ith the teams compiling a 211-52 record over that span. Dur– ing this time the Zags won the WCC regular-season title seven times; the WCC Tournament title seven times; advanced to the NCAA Tournament