ULL's Evans hired as USF coach

LoveMG · April 23, 2004

Evans hired as new San Francisco basketball coach

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer

April 22, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco concluded its monthlong search for a basketball coach, hiring Jessie Evans away from Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday.

``Jessie's a proven winner who's a proven recruiter,'' athletic director Bill Hogan said. ``You don't get much better than that.''

The Dons settled on Evans after their highly publicized attempt to lure Gene Keady away from Purdue failed. While Evans lacks Keady's high profile, he has won a national championship as an assistant at Arizona and led Louisiana-Lafayette to the NCAA tournament this season.

Now his task is rebuilding the tradition at San Francisco.

``I knew they were committed to building a winning program when I saw them go after Gene Keady. That opened my eyes certainly,'' Evans said. ``That was the main reason I got involved.''

The Dons went 17-14 last season, losing to Santa Clara in the second round of the West Coast Conference tournament. Phil Mathews was fired March 9 after nine seasons with the Dons.

Evans spent seven years at Louisiana-Lafayette, leading the Ragin' Cajuns to two NCAA tournament berths and four 20-win seasons. The school went 20-9 and won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles last season before a first-round NCAA loss to North Carolina State.

Evans was an assistant to Lute Olson during Arizona's run to the national championship in 1997. He also has been an assistant at Texas, Wyoming, San Diego State and Minnesota, earning a reputation as a talented recruiter while coaching 26 future NBA players.

``He knows what it takes to win,'' Dons guard John Cox said. ``I haven't been to the postseason before and he's won a championship. He's a proven winner.''

San Francisco's administration expects Evans to build a program capable of competing with West Coast Conference power Gonzaga, the league's perennial champion. San Francisco recently made an aggressive financial commitment to its athletic programs, and Evans' hiring is considered a key element in the revitalization.

San Francisco boasts such prestigious basketball alumni as NBA greats Bill Russell, Bill Cartwright and K.C. Jones. The Dons won NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956, and the NIT in 1949.

CMJ · April 23, 2004

A very good hire for San Francisco. I hope these rumors of JJ being wooed by ULL are just that.

MeanGreenBuzz · April 23, 2004

I doubt JJ would leave now, he is just now hitting his stride and could prove himself and improve his career alot more by staying here and making it to the NCAA tournament and getting a few 20 win seasons under his belt. Of course at ULL he also steps into a better team, fan base, and recruiting.