JJ hires a new assistant

[SUMG]

DENTON (6/24/05) -- University of North Texas head men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones has announced that Jai Steadman has been named an assistant coach.

Steadman, who spent last season as an assistant coach under Tic Price at McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana, replaces Kobie Baker on the North Texas coaching staff. Baker left the Mean Green this summer to pursue personal interests.

"We are excited about the addition of Jai to our staff," said Coach Jones. "With his background and coaching experience, he will be a great asset to our program. His expertise in recruiting and on-floor coaching will help us continue to take our program to new heights."

Steadman spent last season with the Cowboys, primarily working with the perimeter players on the court and also taking part in the program’s recruiting efforts. Prior to joining McNeese State in 2004, he served as an assistant coach for the Michigan Mayhem in the CBA earlier that year.

Steadman was the head coach for Randers Cimbria of Denmark in the European Professional League before taking the position with the Michigan Mayhem. He led Randers Cimbria to its most victories in over 50 years and to its first ever postseason appearance in 2003-04, making him a coach of the year nominee for his work with the Denmark team.

The 1997 graduate from the University of Nebraska spent time at TCU and Tyler Junior College as an assistant coach as well. Steadman signed on for three seasons with Tyler Junior College after graduation and then spent one season at TCU before going to Denmark. He also served as an administrative assistant with the Cornhuskers when they won the Big Eight title and competed in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments.

The Lincoln, Nebraska, native, was a basketball and football letterman at Lincoln Southeast High School, earning all-state, all-conference and all-city honors in basketball. He went on to play at Hastings Community College as a forward and center.

"I am very blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to work for head coach Johnny Jones and the outstanding University of North Texas," said Steadman. "I look forward to the opportunity to helping the Mean Green basketball team soar to new heights."

[NT80]

"I am very blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to work for head coach Johnny Jones and the outstanding University of North Texas," said Steadman.

Well, he got the school name right so that's a good start for him.

What's up with Kobie Baker? Didn't JJ get him some interviews with other programs and now he leaves for personal interests?

[SUMG]

Well, he got the school name right so that's a good start for him.

What's up with Kobie Baker? Didn't JJ get him some interviews with other programs and now he leaves for personal interests?

I think that both Kobie and Fred Rike interviewed at other schools (Rike @ Tulane?)...but neither one of them took the jobs or were offered the jobs. I'm thinking Kobie interviewed at Bama.

Anyway....I thought our staff was in tact for the upcoming season.....so this hiring kind of caught me by surprise.

Anyway...welcome aboard, Jai.

[Coach]

Wow, Steadman has a very diverse resume in a short amount of time. Hopefully in his time at TCU and Tyler JC he was able to cultivate some recruiting ties to those areas.

[OldTimer]

NT has a preception problem with the hiring of this coach. I hope he works out for NT. This mornings Star Telegram stated he resigned in August 2003 after he provided an incoming player transortatio to Mexico to obtain a visa for an overseas BB tournament and gave him impermissible academic assistance. Both were NCAA violations.

JJ is quoted as saying"That's something that's behind him, We're excited to have him...What I was glad about was ouor compliance people the NCAA and they didn't feel like it was anything that should keep him out of coaching?.

[NT80]

NT has a preception problem with the hiring of this coach.  I hope he works out for NT.  This mornings Star Telegram stated he resigned in August 2003 after he provided an incoming player transortatio to Mexico to obtain a visa for an overseas BB tournament and gave him impermissible academic assistance.  Both were NCAA violations.

JJ is quoted as saying"That's something that's behind him, We're excited to have him...What I was glad about was ouor compliance people the NCAA and they didn't feel like it was anything that should keep him out of coaching?.

Vito didn't mention anything about this in his DRC article. <_<

[OldTimer]

The star telegram probably had this in their archives when they printed this story since it happened at TCU. I would bet that NT didn't mention this at all and Vitto didn't have the history to pull from.