GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota head men’s basketball coach Brian Jones announced the addition of Brent Wilson and Steve Grabowski to his staff on Friday. Wilson joins the staff as an assistant coach, while Grabowski was appointed to the director of basketball operations position.
Wilson will work primarily with the UND post players and also focus on his recruiting ties to the northeast and Canada. He will also be in charge of alumni relations. Grabowski will coordinate the team’s travel, summer basketball camps and will also assist in the area of NCAA compliance.
“We are excited about the addition of Brent and Steve to our men’s basketball family here at UND,” Jones said. “They both have promising futures in this profession.
“We look for coaches who will not only be an asset to our program, but to our university as a whole as well and these two fit that bill. I am excited to lead this group of young coaches in our first year of the Big Sky as we work together with our team to become one of the elite programs in that league.”
Wilson, who is a Cedar Rapids, Iowa native, arrives in Grand Forks after a stint as both a player and coach at his alma mater – the University of Albany. Wilson was a two-time captain and earned All-America East honors as a player for the Great Danes from 2004-08. After a brief period working in the private business sector, Wilson returned to UAlbany as the director of basketball operations prior to the 2009-10 season.
He was elevated to an assistant coaching position for the 2011-12 season. The Great Danes improved from a seven-win team in 2009-10 all the way to a 19-win team during Wilson’s three seasons on the staff.
“My family and I are very excited to join Coach Jones' program here at the University of North Dakota,” Wilson said. “The history and tradition at UND makes this a very exciting opportunity. I am eager to learn, develop and gain a new perspective while working for Coach Jones.
“I also want to thank Coach Jones and the administration for this opportunity and I'd like to thank Coach Brown and the University At Albany for many great memoires during my time on staff.”
Grabowski took a similar path as Wilson, remaining on his alma mater’s staff at Minot State before departing for North Dakota and the Big Sky Conference. The Minot, N.D., native played four seasons with the Beavers, then spent seven seasons with the program as an assistant coach. The Beavers advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament twice during his tenure and won the Dakota Athletic Conference regular season title once and tournament title twice.
“This is a great time to be a part of the UND men’s basketball program and I’m excited to work with these players and the staff we have in place here,” Grabowski said. “The move to the Division I level was huge for me. This program is headed in the right direction and I’m excited to be here.”
UND will opens its first season in the Big Sky Conference in 2012-13. The season opener is set for a non-conference tilt at Kansas State on Nov. 9.
— Go UND ¬¬—
