Grace Promoted to Assistant Men's Hoops Coach
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CORVALLIS, Ore. – David Grace has been promoted to the position of assistant Oregon State men’s basketball coach, head coach Craig Robinson announced on Wednesday. Grace has spent the previous three months serving as the Beavers’ director of men’s basketball operations.
Grace arrived at Oregon State from the University of San Francisco, where he served as an assistant coach with the Dons men’s basketball program for one season.
Prior to his stint with the Dons, Grace was an assistant coach at Sacramento State, where he assisted with academics, recruiting, on-floor coaching and scouting while working with the team’s backcourt.
Grace spent the previous two years as the head coach at South Mountain High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where he led the Jaguars to a 5A Div. II state championship. The team went 29-4 and the state title was the first for South Mountain since 1992. In addition, he led the team to a state playoff appearance in 2004-05. One year prior to his arrival, South Mountain had finished just 4-17.
A native of Aberdeen, Md., Grace was head coach of the Arizona Magic in 2004, leading the team to a national ranking of 21st and an eighth place finish at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. The eighth-place finish was the best in the history of any AAU team from the state of Arizona.
Grace also coached the Compton Magic in 2005 and 2006. With the Magic, Grace helped develop players Lawrence Hill (Stanford), Joey Shaw (Indiana), Harvey Perry (Washington), Christian Polk (Arizona State), Ray Murdock (San Diego), James Anderson (BYU), Nkem Ojougboh (Northeastern), Tim Maiden (Texas-San Antonio), Bryson Krueger (Arizona State), Devon Evertsen (Grand Canyon via Boston College), Luis Ahmundson (Sacramento Kings) and Derek Wabbington (Harlem Globetrotters) among others.
Prior to his stint at South Mountain, Grace spent four years (2000-04) as an assistant varsity coach at Trevor Browne High School in Phoenix. Under his guidance, the team reached the Final Four in 2003 and was ranked among the top 40 schools in the nation by The Sporting News prior to the 2003-04 season. During his time at Trevor Browne, Grace helped develop Ty Morrison (Creighton), Daren Jordan (Oral Roberts) and Kaleo Kina (Navy).
Grace, who spent 20 years in the Air Force, is a 2003 graduate of Park University in Parkville, Mo., where he graduated cum laude with a degree in human resources and a 3.67 GPA.
OREGON STATE BASKETBALL TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Tickets for the 2008-09 men’s basketball season can be or by calling 1-800-GO-BEAVS. Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the OSU Athletic Ticket Office located at Gill Coliseum. Ticket office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
