WSU Hires Basketball Aide

Fri., May 21, 1999

By Carter Strickland carters@spokesman.com (509) 432-4629

Washington State coach Paul Graham got his first Southern Californian to sign on the dotted line on Thursday.

OK, so he is not a player. The new Cougars signee is assistant coach Gary Stewart, a 37-year-old Californian with about as many roots in that state as a redwood. And it is no secret to anyone who follows Cougars basketball that the program is in need of some California ties and players.

“That’s my strength,” said Stewart. “I was born and raised there. I have always watched the Pac-10 and I know what type of player belongs in the Pac-10. I’m real close with a lot of the people in the Pac-10.”

“He is known and respected in the coaching community and is very well-connected in the areas we need to recruit,” added Graham.

Stewart has spent 14 seasons as either a head coach or assistant in California. In that time, he picked up four California NCAA Division III coach of the year honors at the University of LaVerne.

The Pasadena, Calif., native was also honored in 1990, 1991 and 1993 as the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coach of the year while at LaVerne. In 1997, he picked up Northern California Athletic Conference coach of the year honors at Cal State Hayward.

Stewart began his coaching career after graduating from LaVerne in 1984. He became an assistant coach at Long Beach State and spent two seasons with the 49ers until his alma mater came calling in 1987.

At the age of 24, Stewart was named the youngest head coach of a four-year college In his eight seasons at LaVerne, he led the Leopards to their first-ever NCAA tournament, with an appearance in the Division III Sweet 16.

After his success at LaVerne, Stewart moved on to coach Cal State Hayward from 1995-97. In two years, he turned the program around, taking a last-place team to the conference title in 1997. During that season, CSUH went 18-10 and was ranked third among all Division III schools in points allowed per game.

From there, Stewart moved back into the Division I ranks as an assistant at Santa Barbara. He spent one season at UCSB before a coaching change led to a staff upheaval at the end of 1998.

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WSU Hires Basketball Aide

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