Just a week after Saint Louis University parted ways with former men’s basketball coach Brad Soderberg, President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,, and Athletic Director Cheryl Levick welcomed new men’s basketball coach Rick Majerus with a press conference on Monday morning in the Busch Student Center.
Students, faculty, media members and Billikens fans packed Room 171 for the 10 a.m. press conference. Levick shared the excitement of the audience as she introduced Majerus.
“Rick Majerus is known as one of the most passionate basketball coaches in America, and he has already communicated that passion to all he has met at SLU. Rick is committed to improving the national profile of our men’s basketball program, which is what our athletic department and all Billiken fans want. We are also excited about what this means to SLU athletics,” she said.
Biondi, who is being credited with landing Majerus, shared Levick’s excitement.
“I am extremely excited about having a person of Rick Majerus’ stature and reputation at the helm of our men’s basketball team, I know that we are now headed to take our men’s basketball team to the next level . I am impressed with all that he will bring to our men’s basketball program, including his commitment to run a program that we can all be proud of,” he said.
Majerus, one of college basketball’s most successful coaches, had worked as a basketball analyst with ESPN until accepting the job over the weekend. Majerus’ most notable years came when he led the Utah Utes to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 full seasons at the helm. The Utes dominated the Western Athletic Conference (seven conference titles) and the newly formed Mountain West Conference (three conference titles). Majerus notably led the Utes to the 1998 national championship game, which Utah lost to Kentucky, 78-69.
Majerus has been given the reins as the program prepares to enter the Chaifetz Arena at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season. He assured the crowd that he is committed to making the men’s basketball program competitive.
“Fr. Biondi is giving me all of things I need to make SLU men’s basketball successful in the years ahead. I am energized to get started, and I see nothing but great opportunities ahead with the opening of the new Chaifetz Arena and a nucleus of dedicated returning players,” he said.
Before taking the helm at Utah, Majerus coached at Ball State, where he took the Cardinals to one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1989, and Marquette, where he led the team to three consecutive NIT appearances between 1984 and 1986. Majerus’ career record of 422-147 includes two seasons with 30-plus wins and 13 seasons with more than 20 wins.
Majerus inherits a squad that finished 20-13 and tied for seventh in the Atlantic 10. The Billikens were ousted in the semi-finals of the A-10 Tournament, ending any hopes of a postseason appearance. The team returns four starters for the 2007-2008 season, with center Ian Vouyoukas (12.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) as the only significant subtraction.
