Gorman names new boys basketball coach

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000 | 9:56 a.m.

It has been 12 years since Bob Hubbard coached basketball full-time, but the new Bishop Gorman boys coach says he's ready for the pressure of taking over for Nevada's defending 4A state champs.

"The task ahead of us is really tough," Hubbard said. "It's always hard to stay at the top. I can't guarantee we're going to win another championship, but I can guarantee that we'll run a first-class program."

On Wednesday, the Catholic school announced that Hubbard would take over as the Gaels' new head coach, a position left vacant when Robert Smith left the school last month to become an assistant coach with the IBL's Las Vegas Bandits.

Smith took over in June for Jeff Wagonseller, who resigned last spring after coaching the Gaels to the ninth state championship in school history.

"We interviewed seven candidates, with a wide variety of experiences," Gorman athletic director Norman Craft said. "We were very impressed with his presentation, his knowledge of the game and his organizational skills. People had nothing but good things to say about him."

Hubbard comes to Gorman with an impressive coaching resume, one that includes stints at three colleges, as well as a New York high school.

For the past 12 years, however, his only involvement with basketball has been through summer tournaments and camps. The 52-year-old spent most of his time as a PGA teaching professional.

"A lot of people are wondering why I'm back in basketball at this late a date," Hubbard said. "I had an opportunity to get back in coaching and keep the full-time job I do have. This was just a perfect fit."

Hubbard will serve as a non-teaching, off-campus coach for the Gaels and will continue to serve as operations manager at the Las Vegas International Golf Center, a position he has held since moving to town last October.

"This is an opportunity to coach at a place I have a lot of respect for, a private school where kids get a good education," Hubbard said. "It gives me an opportunity to make an impact coaching and still keep my job."

After beginning his career as a prep coach in Scottville, N.Y., Hubbard moved on to the Rochester Institute of Technology. From there, he joined the staff at the University of Alabama, where he coached current Crimson Tide coach Mark Gottfried and new Indiana interim coach Mike Davis.

Hubbard spent four seasons at Alabama before taking an assistant coaching position at South Alabama. He also served as head golf coach and an assistant athletic director for the Jaguars until leaving the school in 1988. Hubbard spoke to his new team on Wednesday, and plans to hold one-on-one meetings with his returning players and their parents.

"The kids are kind of in disarray. They've lost two coaches," Hubbard said. "I told them I understand what they're going through and I sympathize with them, but we can't turn on a VCR and turn it back.

"It's important for them to find out what I'm about early and what I expect from them. I told them we have a tremendous responsibility with that ring and that championship."