Paul Evans (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Paul Evans is a former American head coach
of men's college basketball
.
Paul Evans was noted for running a "power offense" with emphasis on distributing the ball through centers and power forwards. His tenures at Navy
and Pittsburgh
was notable for the development of quality big men such as David Robinson
, Charles Smith
, Jerome Lane
, Brian Shorter, Bobby Martin, Darren Morningstar
, and Eric Mobley
. He coached at Division III St. Lawrence University
for seven season guiding them to six ICAC Conference Championships and five NCAA Division III post-season appearances, including two regional finals. He went on to coach at Navy for six seasons and an overall 199-60 (.665) record which included a cinderella appearance in the 1986 Elite Eight
led by star center Robinson. After taking over at Pitt starting in the 1986-87 season, he guided the Panthers to regular season Big East Conference
titles in 1987 and 1988, several top 10 rankings in the polls (including as high as #2), and saw the team advance to five NCAA tournaments and one NIT. John Calipari
was an assistant under Evans at Pitt prior to him obtaining the head coaching position at UMass
. Evans' win-loss record at the University of Pittsburgh
was 147-98 (.600) over eight seasons. He was succeeded as head coach at Pitt by Ralph Willard
.
Notable achievements:
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of men's college basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Paul Evans was noted for running a "power offense" with emphasis on distributing the ball through centers and power forwards. His tenures at Navy
Navy Midshipmen men's basketball
The Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team represents the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in NCAA Division I college basketball...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
was notable for the development of quality big men such as David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
, Charles Smith
Charles D. Smith
Charles Daniel Smith is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.- College career :...
, Jerome Lane
Jerome Lane
Jerome Lane is a retired American professional basketball player. Lane attended Akron Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School. He played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, where he led the Big East Conference in rebounding during the 1986-87 and the 1987-88 regular seasons. He led the...
, Brian Shorter, Bobby Martin, Darren Morningstar
Darren Morningstar
Darren Morningstar is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 2nd round of the 1992 NBA Draft. A 6'10" and 235 lb center, Morningstar played in only one NBA season, splitting time with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz...
, and Eric Mobley
Eric Mobley
Eric Mobley is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the National Basketball Association's Milwaukee Bucks in the 1st round of the 1994 NBA Draft...
. He coached at Division III St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
for seven season guiding them to six ICAC Conference Championships and five NCAA Division III post-season appearances, including two regional finals. He went on to coach at Navy for six seasons and an overall 199-60 (.665) record which included a cinderella appearance in the 1986 Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
led by star center Robinson. After taking over at Pitt starting in the 1986-87 season, he guided the Panthers to regular season Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
titles in 1987 and 1988, several top 10 rankings in the polls (including as high as #2), and saw the team advance to five NCAA tournaments and one NIT. John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
was an assistant under Evans at Pitt prior to him obtaining the head coaching position at UMass
UMass Minutemen basketball
The UMass Minutemen basketball team, also known as the Massachusetts Minutemen, represents the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I men's competition...
. Evans' win-loss record at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
was 147-98 (.600) over eight seasons. He was succeeded as head coach at Pitt by Ralph Willard
Ralph Willard
Ralph Willard is the former men's head basketball coach at the College of the Holy Cross, a member of the NCAA Patriot League in Worcester, Massachusetts. He held this position from 1999 to 2009 and was the 14th head coach in the 88-year history of Holy Cross basketball. Willard was also an...
.
Notable achievements:
- 1985 ECACEastern College Athletic ConferenceThe Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
South Conference Regular-Season and Tournament Title (Navy) - 1986 Colonial Athletic AssociationColonial Athletic AssociationThe Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
Regular-Season and Tournament Title (Navy) - Two NCAA Tournament appearances for Navy (19851985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began...
, 19861986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas...
) - 19861986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1986, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Dallas, Texas...
Elite EightElite EightThe term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
(Navy) - 1987 Big East ConferenceBig East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
regular season co-champions (Pittsburgh) - 1988 Big East Conference regular season champions (Pittsburgh)
- Five NCAA Tournament appearances for Pittsburgh (19871987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 19881988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
, 19891989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
, 19911991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, 19931993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
) - One NIT appearance (Pittsburgh) (19921992 National Invitation Tournament-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Utah 81, Florida 78...
)