[Rosiak's Blog] MU hires two assistants

[ToddRosiakSays]

MU hires two assistants

Written by: Todd Rosiak


After a lengthy search process, Buzz Williams has filled two of the three spots on his coaching staff.

Tony Benford, a veteran Division I assistant who spent the last two seasons at Nebraska, and Aki Williams, a native New Yorker who spent the past two seasons at Fairfield, have been hired. Williams arrives in town early this afternoon and Benford later in the evening, and both are expected to jump right into their new positions.

"Real excited to have both of them here," said Buzz Williams. "I think that they're both dominant pieces in regards to the future of our program, but I don't think I won't say the same thing about anybody else that I will hire."

I'll be updating this story throughout the afternoon.



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/04/24/mu-hires-two-assistants.aspx

[Big Papi]

Tony Benford info:

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=21&SPID=24&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=563759&Q_SEASON=2006

[1990Warrior]

Here is a good link for Benford - looks like a good recruiter, although covers the Big 12 and west.

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=563759&Q_SEASON=2007

[SoCalwarrior]

Tony Benford



One of the nation's top young assistant coaches, Tony Benford returns for his second season on the bench in Lincoln in 2007-08. He is a veteran Division I assistant coach with strong coaching and recruiting ties throughout the Big 12 and Pac-10 geographic regions as well as in his native state of New Mexico.

Benford spent eight seasons in the Pac-10 Conference at Arizona State before joining Coach Doc Sadler's first staff at Nebraska for the 2006-07 season. Benford also spent a brief stint in El Paso, Texas, on Sadler's UTEP staff in the summer of 2006 before he followed Sadler to Lincoln.

During his first campaign in Lincoln, Benford helped the Huskers to 17 wins while just missing out on an upper-division finish in the conference standings. Benford spent significant time working with Husker center Aleks Maric, the leading returning scorer and rebounder in the Big 12 in 2007-08 after posting 18.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior.

Off the court, Benford helped the Huskers make significant strides on the recruiting trail. Nebraska's eight-man recruiting class for 2007 was ranked among the top 25 in the nation by at least three major recruiting services, including ESPN.com's Bob Gibbons (21st), CSTV.com's Van Coleman (12th) and HoopScoopOnline.com's Clark Francis (5th).

Following the 2006-07 season, Benford earned well-deserved recognition as he was ranked No. 31 on a list of the top assistant coaches in the nation by Basketball Times magazine and Hoop Scoop. The list compiled the 100 top assistant coaches among the 331 basketball schools at the Division I level.

In his previous stint, Benford served on the Arizona State bench as an assistant coach for his first six years in Tempe. He was then named associate head coach for his last two seasons with the Sun Devils.

During his time at Arizona State (1999 to 2006), Benford recruited and coached Pac-10 Players of the Year Ike Diogu (2005) and Eddie House (2000), and also brought in all-freshman team performer Jeff Pendergraph in 2006. Benford helped the Sun Devils to four postseason appearances during his tenure, including gaining a spot in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

Before joining the ASU staff, Benford spent six seasons as an assistant coach at New Mexico (1993 to 1998). He helped New Mexico to five NCAA Tournament bids while winning 73.2 percent of its games (139-51 record). New Mexico picked up a pair of Western Athletic Conference tournament titles (1993 and 1996) and a regular-season championship (1994) with Benford on the sideline. During his stint with the Lobos, Benford coached the top four scorers in program history, including all-time leading scorer Kenny Thomas, who Benford recruited to New Mexico.

Benford started his career coaching youth teams, including spending four years at All Saints School in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as head coach of the junior high squad.

Sadler and Benford have a long-standing friendship that dates back to their time together at Texas Tech. Sadler served three years as an assistant coach for the Red Raiders, recruiting several players that helped TTU to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1993. Benford returned to the Lubbock, Texas, school to complete his degree in 1992.

Benford finished his playing career at Tech in 1986 and during his playing days, he helped Texas Tech to two Southwest Conference Tournament titles (1985, 1986) and the SWC regular-season championship in 1985. He was an all-conference pick as a senior and was the league tournament most valuable player.

A native of Hobbs, N.M., Benford was a 1986 fourth-round NBA Draft selection by the Boston Celtics. He played professionally in Holland during the 1986-87 season.

As a prep all-star, Benford was a Converse All-American and the New Mexico Player of the Year after pouring in 27.5 points per game as a senior. He led Hobbs to the state title in his final season, earning MVP honors of the state championship tournament after posting 29 points in the title game.

Benford and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Audriana (18) and Milena (10), and one son, Tony Jr. (15). Benford also has a son, Jeremy (25). Audriana is in her first year as as a student at UNL in 2007-08.

[TJ]

Is there are rule about number of assistants allowed?  Just wondering why it has to be 3 assistants and not 4 if that's what the coach wanted.

[wardle2wade]

Believe Todd has a typo... the asst coach is probably Aki Collins, not Williams.

http://www.fairfieldstags.com/sports/m-baskbl/coaches/index

David "Aki" Collins joined Head Coach Ed Cooley's staff in May, 2006 after serving three seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall University. Collins has a proven ability to recruit student-athletes who achieve success both on the basketball court as well as in the classroom.


Collins played an instrumental role in Marshall's success on the basketball court over the past three seasons. During his stay, the Thundering Herd placed several student-athletes on Conference USA all-conference teams, including Mark Patton and Markel Humphrey last season.
The Brooklyn native came to Marshall after three seasons as an assistant coach at Howard University where he served under head coach Frankie Allen.


During his tenure, Collins was part of a coaching staff that turned the team into a highly-successful program. Before  his arrival at Howard, the program posted just three victories in the previous two seasons. After winning 10 games during the 2000-01 season, the Bison won 18 games in 2001-02 and advanced to the conference championship game. In three years at Howard, Collins was part of a coaching staff that averaged nearly 14 wins per season (41-48).
Collins brought in two pre-season MEAC player of the year candidates in Aki Thomas (2002) and Kyle Williams (2003), both of whom transferred to Howard from the University of Colorado, following Collins when he made the trip back east. He also helped recruit the 2003 MEAC Player of the Year Ronnie Williams.


Before making the move to Howard, Collins spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado, one as a volunteer and two as a full-time assistant. His responsibilities with the Buffalos included supervising the team managers, coordinating film exchange, and participating in on-campus recruiting activities. He coached Jaquay Walls while in Boulder. Walls went on to become a second-round draft pick by the Indiana Pacers in 2000.


He began his collegiate career at Morehouse College, before transferring to Clark University for his sophomore year. He attended LaSalle Academy in New York, where he led his team to a 26-1 record and the New York City championship as a sophomore. LaSalle earned a Top 20 pre-season ranking prior to his senior campaign.


Collins is married to the former Ina Taylor.

[mr.MUskie]

Must be Collins...  has the requisite bald head.

[Pakuni]

Benford spent significant time working with Husker center Aleks Maric, the leading returning scorer and rebounder in the Big 12 in 2007-08 after posting 18.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior.

This is encouraging, given the prior staff's difficulties developing big men.

[SoCalwarrior]

Believe Todd has a typo... the asst coach is probably Aki Collins, not Williams.

Correct.  

[NYWarrior]

Benford is a great hire.......a very experienced assistant coach with a strong pedigree.  nicely done

[Big Papi]

Benford sounds promising.  Here is hoping we hired assistant coach number 2 and number 3 in the pecking order.  Would really love to see a Howard from Illinois or Pastner as the top assistant.  

[mr.MUskie]

Is there are rule about number of assistants allowed?  Just wondering why it has to be 3 assistants and not 4 if that's what the coach wanted.

What about Monarch?

[nyg]

OK,at least Buzz has started hiring his staff.  But, one from Fairfield and one from Nebraska?  Not really college basketball hotbeds here. 

[Chili]

What about Monarch?

He will prob. be DBO.

[tonyreeder]

An assistant who worked under Dave Bliss.  Comforting.

[muarmy81]

OK,at least Buzz has started hiring his staff.  But, one from Fairfield and one from Nebraska?  Not really college basketball hotbeds here. 

Well at least he's getting someone from the east coast...

[sailwi]

On the surface this seems underwhelming, hope these are good hires but given the ASU, UN background and Fairfield, Marshall background would not say these are the typical places where the hot assistants are.

[muarmy81]

ASU Has had some talented people to include Dio, House, and Pendergraph is a talented guard.  His bio states he was involved with each player's recruitment so that's promising. 

[mr.MUskie]

Well at least he's getting someone from the east coast...

And used to the Jesuit experience:
Fairfield University is a Jesuit institution that prepares undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students for leadership and service in a constantly changing world. Approximately 5,000 students from 35 states, 46 countries, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are enrolled at the University's six schools. The University was founded in 1942 in the scenic shoreline community of Fairfield, Connecticut.

[Ready2Fly]

Didn't/Doesn't Maurice Creek go to a prep school in Connecticut?  Hopefully Collins has some ties there.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

An assistant who worked under Dave Bliss.  Comforting.

How many average MU fans will ever know of that?

Interesting.

[Pakuni]

An assistant who worked under Dave Bliss.  Comforting.

Bliss never got into trouble with the NCAA while at New Mexico (where Benford was with him).

Wasn't Tony Bennett at UW when they went on probation? Good thing MU didn't hire that guy.

[NYWarrior]

Wasn't Tony Bennett at UW when they went on probation? Good thing MU didn't hire that guy.

And of course Bennie Seltzer worked for Kelvin Sampson at OU when that mess was going down.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

With a high profile staff like this, I'm sure recruits will be climbing over themselves to enroll.

Holy cripes. Isn't there somebody from Gillespie's old staff that's willing to come on board?

[ToddRosiakSays]

MU hires two assistants

Written by: Todd Rosiak


After a lengthy search process, Buzz Williams now has filled two of the three spots on his coaching staff.

Tony Benford, a Division I veteran who spent the last two seasons at Nebraska, and Aki Collins, a native New Yorker who spent the past two seasons at Fairfield, have been hired. Collins arrives in town early this afternoon and Benford later in the evening, and both are expected to jump right into their new positions.

"Real excited to have both of them here," said Williams. "I think that they're both dominant pieces in regards to the future of our program, but I don't think I won't say the same thing about anybody else that I will hire."

Benford, 44, has 16 seasons of Division I experience as an assistant. Prior to his stint at Nebraska he spent eight seasons at Arizona State, including the last two as an associate head coach, and six seasons at New Mexico.

A fourth-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 1986, Benford has known Williams since Williams first broke into the coaching business.

"He was already a full-time assistant at New Mexico when I started at UT-Arlington," Williams said. "Since the BCS has been formed he's been in a BCS league the entire time. Has great relationships in the Midwest. His next move will be as a head coach -- that's my opinion."

Benford said he wasn't necessarily looking at leaving Nebraska until he sat down and began discussing the possibilities at MU with Williams. Benford had been working at Nebraska with coach Doc Sadler, a former assistant of Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie -- one of Williams' mentors.

"I think it's going to be a situation where I'm working with Buzz, and not for him," Benford said. "We're working together for the same goal, which is to win a national championship. I think I can bring a lot to the table to help Buzz and help the program continue to be at an elite level.

"Buzz said, 'I need a coach -- not just a recruiter. Someone who will help me in all aspects of the program.' And I know that with my experience through the years...I know what to do and what not to do, and I think it's going to be a great fit."

Collins, 36, has 10 seasons of Division I experience as an assistant. Prior to his stint at Fairfield he spent three seasons at Marshall, three seasons at Howard and two at Colorado.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Collins' recruiting ties to the East Coast played a role in his addition to Williams' staff. The middle man in introducing Williams and Collins was Gillispie.

"I think it's important we have a presence where we play," said Williams. "I think any coach will tell you that, that it's important to be able to recruit where you play. Obviously he's from New York, went to high school in New York, has great relationships up and down the East Coast, and he will be able to help us continue to recruit where we play. He has great relationships with coaches in the East, in the Mid-Atlantic area."

Collins said Thursday afternoon, en route to MU, that he's already been working his connections.

"I started making some phone calls and letting my contacts on the East Coast know I'm taking this job at Marquette, and now it's time for them to help me out," Collins said. "We need some players, and we have to compete with Syracuse and Georgetown and Notre Dame, which goes into New York strong. The New York schools are trying to protect their home turf.

"We have to be able to get in there and get some players that can help us compete at a high level. And we also have to be able to recruit up and down the East Coast, as well as the country. There's players all over the place that can play; it's our job as assistant coaches to go out and find those players and sell Marquette."

Williams now has one spot on his staff left to fill.

"I think that as you put together a staff, it's like recruiting, putting your team together," he said. "I did not make a move with Aki or Tony until I had complete peace that they were exactly what we needed, where we needed and how we needed. I'm going to hire the other coach --  it could be today, it could be next week, it could be 10 days from now - when I have complete peace that they are the absolute right piece to the puzzle in regards to making sure we have the best staff in the country.

"I'm not going to rush to do that."



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/04/24/mu-hires-two-assistants.aspx