Last Friday, Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao officially announced the hiring of Bill Courtney as an assistant coach. Courtney will fill the vacancy left by Gene Cross, who was hired May 24 by Notre Dame to assist Irish head coach Mike Brey.
Over the course of the 42-day search for a replacement, Leitao considered numerous candidates but eventually decided that Courtney would be the best fit for the Virginia program.
"After evaluating our program and staff, I'm pleased Bill is joining us," Leitao said in a press release. "He brings a wealth of experience, energy and recruiting contacts that will enhance our program. Bill comes very highly recommended by coaches and players he's been associated with through the years. I'm happy to have an individual of his caliber join our staff."
Courtney spent last season as an assistant coach to Tim Welsh at Providence College. Before that, Courtney spent nine years serving under Jim Larranaga -- one season at Bowling Green and eight at George Mason. The Patriots made the NCAA Tournament twice during the time Courtney was in Fairfax. Courtney got his start in collegiate coaching in 1995 as an assistant at American University.
The Springfield native graduated from Bucknell University in 1992 after a four-year playing career for the Bison. During his junior season, Courtney led the Patriot League in scoring with 20.0 points per game. His brief professional career included stops with the Philadelphia Spirit of the USBL, the 1992 Milwaukee Bucks' summer league squad and summer teams in Hong Kong.
"I am extremely excited to be joining Dave Leitao's staff at the University of Virginia," Courtney said in the press release. "I hope to help build on the accomplishments of last year and look forward to even more success in the future."
One of Courtney's first tasks will be to hit the recruiting circuit. Assistant coaches do much of the heavy lifting in the recruiting process. The last week and a half of July is one of the busiest periods in the intense NCAA recruiting schedule.
Courtney will also have to acquaint himself with the players already on Virginia's roster. Several Virginia players said that they do not know much about Courtney but are excited to welcome him to Charlottesville.
Courtney rounds out an assistant coaching staff that also includes Rob Lanier and Steve Seymour. Earlier this spring, there was speculation that Lanier would be hired by the University of Florida to fill a vacancy on the Billy Donovan's coaching staff. However, it was announced that Lanier would be staying at Virginia.
Read More
Volleyball holds off Boston College in tight five-set win
By Lauren Halak | 20 hours agoSenior outside hitter Elayna Duprey led the team throughout the match with 22 points and 18 kills.
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | 2 days agoJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
