HEAD COACH TOD KOWALCZYK

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1 HEAD COACH TOD KOWALCZYK Head coach Tod Kowalczyk s transformation of the University of Toledo men s basketball program is nearly complete as he enters his third season at the helm of the Rockets. Upon his arrival in 2010, Kowalczyk began to institute a culture of discipline and accountability for a Toledo program that had endured three straight losing seasons following its Mid-American Conference title. That new culture started to produce on-court results in when the Rockets registered the second-best turnaround in the country. Featuring a senior-less roster, UT posted a 15-win improvement with its 19 victories. Sophomore G Rian Pearson received second-team All-MAC honors after averaging a league-best 16.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg, while guard Julius Brown tallied 11.9 ppg and 4.9 apg to earn MAC Freshman of the Year laurels. We certainly had a quick turnaround from what we inherited and feel that our program is headed in the right direction, Kowalczyk said. I m proud of what our guys did last year, but at the same time we know we have a long way to go. Our goal is to be able to compete for championships on a yearly basis. I think we re on that track and look forward to building on the progress we ve made. The Tod Kowalczyk File Born: June 19, 1966 in DePere, WI Education: B.S. in health education and physical education, University of Minnesota-Duluth ( 89) M.A. in education administration, Rider University ( 97) Coaching Experience: 2010-pres. Head Coach, University of Toledo Head Coach, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Assistant Coach, Marquette University Assistant Coach, Rutgers University Assistant Coach, Rider University Assistant Coach, St. Anselm College Assistant Coach, University of New Hampshire University of Minnesota-Duluth, basketball Family: Wife, Julie; Son, Race (5); Daughter, Rose (4). Taking Over in Green Bay Turning around a program is something Kowalczyk is familiar with after taking over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay s program in 2002 under similar circumstances that he faced at Toledo Kowalczyk was named the fifth head coach in the history of Phoenix men s basketball in 2002, taking over a program that was coming off three consecutive losing seasons and possessed an RPI rating over 270. It didn t take long for the De Pere, WI native to put his signature on UWGB basketball both on and off the court. In his first season, the Phoenix soared from consecutive years as the seventh-ranked rebounding team in the Horizon League to the conference leader by following Kowalczyk s mantra of toughness and sound fundamental play. Also in , the team posted a grade-point average above 3.0 in the classroom for the first time in four years. During the campaign, Kowalczyk orchestrated one of the nation s top single-season turnarounds. The rise of the Phoenix to a record was among the top 10 improvements in the NCAA that year. Despite being picked to finish seventh in the preseason league poll, Kowalczyk and the Phoenix vaulted to third in the standings, posting the team s best finish in five seasons and the most wins in conference play in eight years. Green Bay s second-place showing in the conference race was the team s best in nearly a decade, since an undefeated league championship season. With a 12-1 record in single-digit games, Kowalczyk s Phoenix earned a reputation for poise under pressure. The team placed two Kowalczyk products on the All-Horizon League teams, first-team pick Javier Mendiburu and second-team choice Benito Flores. The selections marked the first time a pair of Phoenix players earned all-league honors since The campaign saw a freshman-dominated squad finish in a third-place tie in the Horizon League with an 8-8 mark after being tabbed to place seventh in the pre-season poll. That year continued a four-year stretch where the Phoenix finished higher in the Horizon League standings than the preseason polls had predicted. Coach Kowalczyk led the Rockets to the second-best turnaround in the nation with their plus-15 win improvement from to To l e d o Ba s k e t b a l l

2 a HEAD COACH TOD KOWALCZYK In , Green Bay posted 18 wins, the most by a Phoenix team since finishing in Green Bay freshmen and sophomores played an average of 132 minutes out of a possible 200, easily the most of any team in the league. Despite facing the toughest schedule in school history and sustaining injuries to several key players, the Phoenix tallied a record in and tied for fourth place in the Horizon League standings at 9-9. Postseason Play in Titletown The fruits of Kowalczyk s labors at the Phoenix helm were realized when Green Bay reached postseason play in for the first time in 13 years. UWGB capped off an outstanding campaign with an appearance in the 2009 College Basketball Invitational, marking the first postseason contest ever played in Titletown. Kowalczyk s squad earned its bid after notching a runner-up finish in the Horizon League with a 13-5 ledger. The Phoenix s mark was the program s highest victory total since the season and included a victory over No. 11 Butler before nearly 7,000 fans at the Resch Center. Green Bay proved to be one of the nation s most prolific shooting teams in as well. The Phoenix finished the season ranked second nationally in freethrow shooting percentage (78.7) and fifth in three-point shooting percentage (41.0). UWGB was the only team in the country to rate among the top five in both categories. Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk was hired as UT s 18th basketball coach on March 30, In Kowalczyk s final year at UWGB, his squad posted a mark and won the program s first post-season game since 1994 when it registered a first-round victory at Akron in the College Basketball Invitational. Another major highlight came when the Phoenix knocked off No. 20 Wisconsin, 88-84, at home in an overtime thriller. The Phoenix s 88 points were 17 more than any other school scored against the Badgers, who ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense. Summing Up the Green Bay Years Kowalczyk s tenure in Green Bay produced an eight-year run of success that saw the Phoenix post a (.548) winloss mark, including a pair of 22-win campaigns in his final two seasons. That period of prosperity also enabled UWGB to become one of just 18 teams in the nation to place among the top four in its conference for seven straight seasons. Under Kowalczyk s direction, Green Bay restored its strong TOD THE BUILDER When looking at his career record minus his first season at the helm at both UWGB and Toledo, Coach Kowalczyk s record is (.571) overall and (.567) in conference play. basketball tradition while playing in a league that ranked among the nation s top 12 in RPI. The Phoenix were particularly strong at home, amassing a record (.731) at the Resch Center. On an individual basis, Kowalczyk coached 10 all-conference and four all-newcomer honorees during his UWGB tenure, in addition to Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year Terry Evans, Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year Ryan Tillema and three-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American Mike Schachtner. Evans, Schachtner and Tillema each scored 1,000 points in their career marking the first time three players from one recruiting class had done so in school history. In the classroom, the Phoenix were just as impressive as every student-athlete who completed his eligibility with the program graduated. The men s basketball program s five-year APR rating under Kowalczyk was an impressive 964, the highest figure in the state. LEARNING HIS CRAFT AS AN ASSISTANT Kowalczyk prepared for his decade-long time as a head coach with 13 years as an assistant at five different institutions with his final stint coming at Marquette under current Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean. While with the Golden Eagles, Kowalczyk coordinated efforts that outfitted consecutive top-25 recruiting classes in Marquette uniforms. In , the Golden Eagles finished Kowalczyk s last season ranked in the top 10 nationally, tallied a 26-7 overall record, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Marquette followed up that season with a Final Four appearance and a 27-6 mark in Coach Kowalczyk worked with me every day, said Marquette All-American and 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade. I wouldn t be where I am today if it wasn t for him. Seven-Time Mid-American Conference Champions 29

3 HEAD COACH TOD KOWALCZYK Kowalczyk embarked on his coaching journey as a student assistant at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1988 on the heels of a prosperous collegiate playing career with the Bulldogs. While playing under former Phoenix assistant Dale Race, Kowalczyk was part of squads that posted a (.766) win-loss mark, earning Team MVP honors and leading UMD to four consecutive national tournament berths. Kowalczyk graduated from UMD in 1989 with a bachelor of applied sciences degree in health education and physical education. Two seasons on the coaching staff at the University of New Hampshire ( ) were followed by a two-year stint at St. Anselm College ( ), where Kowalczyk and the The Kowalczyk family: Julie, Rose, Tod and Race. Hawks advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Kowalczyk returned to the Division I ranks with Rider University in The Broncs played in an NCAA Tournament and posted a record (49-23 in conference play) during Kowalczyk s four years in Lawrenceville, NJ. He earned his master s degree in education administration in 1997 while at Rider. Kowalczyk then spent three years ( ) coaching in the Big East Conference at Rutgers, including one season as associate head coach. Kowalczyk helped land two recruiting classes ranked among the top 15 nationally that led the Scarlet Knights to consecutive NIT appearances as well as four wins over Top 25 teams, two coming vs. Syracuse. Well-respected among his coaching peers, Kowalczyk was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Ethics Committee in Coach Kowalczyk has embraced the Toledo community by speaking at several civic groups and appearing at other events. He is seen here with his son Race throwing out the first pitch at a Toledo Mud Hens game. Family Life Kowalczyk and his wife, Julie, reside in Ottawa Hills and have two children, Race (5) and Rose (4). A standout prep star at De Pere (WI) High School for coach Jake Orlowski, Kowalczyk still holds the school record with 53 points scored in a single game for the Redbirds. He is the son of Rod Kowalczyk, longtime coach and athletics director at De Pere. Player Honors for Coach Kowalczyk Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American Mike Schachtner, Third Team (2007) Mike Schachtner, Second Team (2008) Mike Schachtner, Second Team (2009) Division I-AAA Scholar-Athlete Mike Schachtner, Matt Rohde, 2005 Ryan Tillema, Horizon League Defensive Player of Year Terry Evans, 2008 Horizon League Sixth Man of Year Ryan Tillema, 2009 Horizon League All-Conference Brandon Morris, Second Team, 2004 Javier Mendiburu, First Team, 2005 Benito Flores, Second Team, 2005 Ryan Evanochko, Second Team, 2006 & 2007 Mike Schachtner, Second Team, 2007 & 2008 Ryan Tillema, First Team, 2009 Rahmon Fletcher, Second Team, 2009 Rahmon Fletcher, First Team, To l e d o Ba s k e t b a l l Horizon League All-Defensive Team Terry Evans, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team Brandon Morris, 2004 Benito Flores, 2005 Mike Schachtner, 2006 Rahmon Fletcher, 2008 MAC Freshman of Year Julius Brown, 2012 Mid-American Conference All-League Rian Pearson, Second Team, 2012 Curtis Dennis, Hon. Mention, 2012

4 a HEAD COACH TOD KOWALCZYK Coach Kowalczyk s Year-By-Year Breakdown As a Head Coach Year School Overall W-L Mark Conference W-L Mark Conf. Place Notes UW-Green Bay (.333) 4-12 (.250) T-6th UW-Green Bay (.607) 11-5 (.688) 3rd UW-Green Bay (.607) 10-6 (.625) 2nd Best Horizon finish since UW-Green Bay (.484) 8-8 (.500) T-3rd UW-Green Bay (.545) 7-9 (.438) T-4th Most wins since UW-Green Bay (.500) 9-9 (.500) T-4th UW-Green Bay (.667) 13-5 (.722) 2nd CBI Tournament; most wins since ; beat No. 11 Butler UW-Green Bay (.629) 11-7 (.611) 3rd Consecutive 20-win seasons for first time in 14 years; CBI second round Toledo 4-28 (.125) 1-15 (.063) 6th/West Toledo (.528) 7-9 (.438) 2nd/West CIT second round; 2nd-largest win improvement in nation Totals 10 years (.503) (.488) As an Assistant Coach Year School Overall W-L Mark Conference W-L Mark Notes Marquette NCAA Tournament - 1st Round Marquette Rutgers NIT Rutgers NIT-2nd Round Rutgers Rider Rider Rider Rider NCAA Tournament St. Anselm Northeast-10 Champions; NCAA Div. II Tournament St. Anselm New Hampshire New Hampshire Team... W-L Akron Alabama Alabama-Birmingham Alaska-Fairbanks Austin Peay Ball State Bowling Green Buffalo Butler UC-Irvine Centenary Central Michigan Chicago State Cincinnati Cleveland State College of Charleston Delaware Delaware State Detroit Eastern Illinois Eastern Michigan Fairleigh Dickinson Florida Gulf Coast Hartford Houston Baptist Idaho State Illinois Illinois-Chicago Illinois State Indiana Northwest Coach Kowalczyk vs. Opponents Team... W-L Indiana State IPFW IUPUI Iowa Jacksonville State Kansas State Kent State Long Beach State Loyola (IL) Marshall Massachusetts McNeese State Miami (FL) Miami (OH) Michigan State Michigan Tech UW-Milwaukee Minnesota-Duluth Missouri Montana State Morgan State UNC Greensboro UNC Wilmington Norfolk State North Dakota North Dakota State Northern Illinois Northern Iowa Northern Michigan Oakland Team... W-L Ohio Ohio State Rhode Island Robert Morris Rochester (MI) College Rollins Saint Louis Samford Sam Houston State Savannah State USC-Upstate South Dakota State Southeast Missouri State Temple Texas-Pan American Texas State Troy State Utah Valparaiso Victory (TN) Univ Vermont Washington Weber State Western Illinois Western Michigan Wisconsin Wright State Youngstown State Seven-Time Mid-American Conference Champions 31

5 ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH ANGRES THORPE Angres Thorpe is in his third season as a member of the Rockets coaching staff and his second year as the program s associate head coach. He possesses 20 years of coaching experience and will enter his fifth season on the bench alongside Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk. Angres is one of the finest coaches in the country, and we are fortunate to have him as part of our program, Kowalczyk said. He has a special gift of developing relationships with players and is a tremendous motivator and recruiter. He is a vital component to our success. In his first two seasons on the Toledo bench, Thorpe has helped UT implement a culture of discipline and accountability which produced the second-best turnaround (+15 wins) in the nation in The Rockets registered a record last year and garnered its first postseason victory in 11 years in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. He also played a key role in the development of secondteam All-MAC honoree Rian Pearson, honorable-mention All-MAC selection Curtis Dennis and MAC Freshman of the Year Julius Brown. Thorpe s two seasons at Green Bay with Kowalczyk were memorable ones as the Phoenix posted a pair of 22- win seasons and advanced to post-season play for the first time since the campaign. His first year saw UWGB put together a overall record, place second in the Horizon League and host a first-round game in the College Basketball Invitational. The Phoenix registered a mark last season and advanced to the second round of the CBI. Prior to joining the UWGB program, Thorpe spent the previous six seasons ( ) as an assistant at Saint Louis The Angres Thorpe File Born: September 1, 1968 in Chicago, IL Hometown: Chicago, IL Education: B.S. in business management, St. Leo (FL) College, 90 Coaching Experience: 2011-pres. Associate Head Coach, University of Toledo Assistant Coach, University of Toledo Assistant Coach, UW-Green Bay Assistant Coach, Saint Louis University Assistant Coach, Ball State University Assistant Coach, Lewis (IL) University Graduate Assistant Coach, Loras (IA) College St. Leo (FL) College University. During his time with SLU, the Billikens averaged 16 wins per season and were one of the top defensive teams in both the Atlantic 10 and Conference USA. Thorpe coached five all-conference players and two all-rookie selections during his tenure. Thorpe gained some familiarity with the Mid-American Conference when he worked two seasons as an assistant coach at Ball State. In , the Cardinals posted a record and earned a trip to the National Invitation Tournament. That campaign included upset wins over UCLA and Kansas at the Maui Invitational. From 1996 to 2000, Thorpe helped guide Lewis University to a mark and two trips to the NCAA Division II tournament. He was the Flyers recruiting coordinator and was responsible for recruiting Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa and all junior colleges. During that time, the Flyers produced two Division II All-Americans. Thorpe began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, from During his tenure, Loras produced a NCAA Division III All-American, and the Duhawks were three-time runners-up in the prestigious National Catholic Basketball Tournament. A Chicago native, Thorpe was a two-time All-Catholic League performer at Fenwick High School. He went on to become a four-year letterman at St. Leo College (FL). Thorpe earned his bachelor s degree in business management from St. Leo in To l e d o Ba s k e t b a l l

6 a ASSISTANT COACH RYAN PEDON The Pedon family (l-r): Stephanie, Ryan and Maddox. The Ryan Pedon File Ryan Pedon begins his third season as an assistant coach with Toledo s basketball program. Ryan is a tremendous recruiter, a great communicator and a talented coach, Kowalczyk said. He s already done a tremendous job for us, and is playing a big role in helping us take this program to another level. In his first two seasons on the Toledo bench, Pedon has helped UT implement a culture of discipline and accountability which produced the second-best turnaround (+15 wins) in the nation in The Rockets tallied a record last year and secured its first postseason victory in 11 years in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. He also played a significant role in the development of second-team All-MAC honoree Rian Pearson, honorable-mention All-MAC selection Curtis Dennis and MAC Freshman of the Year Julius Brown. Pedon has been involved with Mid-American Conference basketball for the last decade and previously served as an assistant at Miami ( ) and on the Kent State coaching staff ( ) prior to coming to the Rockets. Pedon joined the Red- Hawks staff as an assistant coach in 2005 and was promoted in 2007 to the program s recruiting coordinator. Pedon s familiarity with the MAC also extends to a three-year stint ( ) at Kent State Born: May 3, 1978 in Bexley, OH Hometown: Bexley, OH Education: B.A. in communications, College of Wooster 00 M.S. in sport organization, Miami Univ. 02 Coaching Experience: 2010-pres. Assistant Coach, University of Toledo Assistant Coach, Miami University Dir. of Operations, Kent State University Administrative Assistant, Miami University College of Wooster Family: Wife, Stephanie; Son, Maddox where he served as the Golden Flashes Director of Basketball Operations. During his time at Miami and KSU, Pedon was a part of six teams that made postseason appearances, including one NCAA Tournament, four National Invitational Tournaments and one College Basketball Invitational. In addition to his numerous day-to-day coaching and recruiting responsibilities with the RedHawks, Pedon was critical in the creation and cultivation of the program s Sixth Man Club as well as being a catalyst behind the upgrades to the locker room and Millett Hall s practice gymnasium. Pedon earned his master s degree at Miami in sport organization in May 2002 when he served as the program s administrative assistant during the and seasons. During that time, he handled the day-to-day administrative duties, assisted with team travel and meals and coordinated the film exchange with opponents. In his three-year stint with the Golden Flashes, Pedon handled all of the travel arrangements, monitored team study tables, coordinated film exchange, assisted with on-campus recruiting and was the director of the program s summer basketball camp. Pedon was a three-year letterwinner at NCAA Division III powerhouse Wooster and helped the Scots win three regularseason North Coast Athletic Conference championships (1998, 99, 00) and three NCAC Tournament titles (1997, 99, 00) during his career. In his junior and senior seasons, the Scots advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament and finished with a No. 5 national ranking both years. Elected one of the Scots team co-captains as a senior, Pedon was bestowed Wooster s annual Bear Award, given to the player who demonstrates the best enthusiasm and leadership. He played in 67 games during his career, including 25 during his senior season. A second-team All-Ohio honoree at Bexley High School in suburban Columbus, Pedon graduated from the College of Wooster with a bachelor s degree in communications in Pedon and his wife Stephanie reside in Maumee and became the parents of a son, Maddox, in May. Seven-Time Mid-American Conference Champions 33

7 ASSISTANT COACH JASON KALSOW Jason Kalsow enters his third season as an assistant coach with the Toledo basketball program and his fifth year overall as a member of Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk s coaching staff. Jason is a rising star in the coaching profession and more importantly he is a good person, Kowalczyk said. He possesses a great knowledge of the game, a tremendous presence on the practice floor and certainly knows what it takes to win. In his first two seasons on the Rocket bench, Kalsow has helped UT institute a culture of discipline and accountability which resulted in the second-best turnaround (+15 wins) in the nation in Toledo posted a record last year and notched its first postseason victory in 11 years in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. He also played a key role in the development of second-team All-MAC honoree Rian Pearson and MAC Freshman of the Year Julius Brown. Kalsow came to Toledo from Green Bay where he helped the Phoenix to a pair of 22-win campaigns. UWGB posted a win-loss mark (11-7 in Horizon League) and advanced to the second round of the College Basketball Invitational in In , Green Bay The Jason Kalsow File Born: July 18, 1983 in Elgin, IL Hometown: Huntley, IL Education: B.S. in education/social science, UW-Stevens Point, 06 M.S. in education, UW-Stevens Point 08 Coaching Experience: 2010-pres. Assistant Coach, University of Toledo Assistant Coach, UW-Green Bay Dir. of Operations, UW-Green Bay Grad. Assistant Coach, UW-Stevens Point Volunteer Coach, UW-Stevens Point Iceland Basketball League UW-Stevens Point Playing Highlights: NCAA Division III Player of Year NCAA Division III First-Team All-American NCAA Division III Second-Team All-American Four-time All-Conference honoree notched a ledger and finished second in the conference with a 13-5 record en route to hosting the first postseason game in school history. A Huntley, IL native, Kalsow enjoyed a standout collegiate career at UW-Stevens Point before playing professionally for one year in Iceland, where he participated in the 2005 Euro Cup. As a collegian, Kalsow helped the Pointers capture a pair of NCAA Division III titles (2004, 2005) and three conference titles while accumulating an outstanding (.851) record during his playing career. He was named the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year in 2005 and was also the Final Four s Most Valuable Player that season. A four-time all-league honoree and UWSP s all-time scoring and rebounding leader, he earned first-team All-America accolades his senior season after picking up second-team plaudits as a junior. For his accomplishments on the court with the Pointers, Kalsow was inducted into UWSP s Athletic Hall of Fame in October Following his professional career, he served three years on UWSP s coaching staff, one season as a volunteer coach and two as a graduate assistant. During that time, the Pointers posted a record and appeared in a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Kalsow graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in Allie Clifton and Jason Kalsow social science in He earned his master s degree in education-adult based learning in May Kalsow is engaged to former Rocket and current Cleveland Cavalier sideline reporter Allie Clifton with an August 2013 wedding planned To l e d o Ba s k e t b a l l

8 DIR. of OPERATIONS MICHAEL BENNETT a 02 squad that defeated two top-five teams at the Maui Invitational and was ranked as high as No. 15 during the season. During his career, he was a twotime recipient of the Cardinals Shine Johnson Most Improved Player Award. An Indianapolis native, Bennett received his bachelor s degree in general studies from Ball State in Bennett comes from a basketball family. His father, Michael (Rose-Hulman Institute), and two brothers, Marques (Dayton) and Matthew (Valparaiso/DePauw), all played collegiately. Michael and his wife Rebekah are the parents of three sons, Isaiah (10), Elijah (5) and Michael III (1). The Michael Bennett File Born: June 12, 1981 in Indianapolis, IN Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Education: B.A. in general studies, Ball State University, 04 Basketball Experience: 2012-pr. Director of Operations, University of Toledo Video Coordinator, Ball State University Asst. Varsity Coach/Head JV Coach, Brebeuf Jesuit (IN) High School Asst. Varsity Coach, Carmel (IN) High School Asst. Varsity Coach, Alexandria Monroe (IN) High School Director of Operations, Ball State University Ball State University Family: Wife, Rebekah; Sons, Isaiah (10), Elijah (5), Michael (1). The Bennett family (l-r): Isaiah, Michael, Elijah, Rebekah and Michael III. Seven-Time Mid-American Conference Champions 35 Michael Bennett enters his first season as the Rockets director of basketball operations. Prior to coming to Toledo, Bennett served as the video coordinator for Ball State s men s basketball program. I m excited to welcome Michael to our Rocket family, Kowalczyk said. He is very familiar with the MidAmerican Conference, having played at Ball State and also being a member of their coaching staff. He was a great student and a competitive player, and those were two of the qualities we were looking for. Michael has a great opportunity to grow in his role with our program, and I look forward to having him a part of our staff for a long time. Bennett previously held coaching positions as an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at Brebeuf Jesuit ( ) in Indianapolis, as an assistant varsity coach at Carmel High School ( ) and as an assistant varsity coach at Alexandria Monroe ( ). He also served as BSU s director of basketball operations during the campaign. I m very happy to join the Toledo basketball program and want to thank Coach Kowalczyk for providing me this opportunity, Bennett said. I believe the program has a very promising future and look forward to helping the players and staff reach all of their goals. Bennett played in 115 games during his Cardinal career, including 28 games as a senior in He averaged 14.7 minutes per game and was part of the 2001-

9 ROCKET SUPPORT STAFF Assistant A.D. for Sports Medicine Brian Jones Brian Jones enters his 16th year at the University of Toledo and his fourth as the Rockets assistant athletic director for sports medicine. Jones, 40, supervises the treatment and rehabilitation of student-athletes in the Savage Arena Athletic Training Facility, and works directly with the men s basketball program. In addition to his athletic training duties, Jones also serves as the men s basketball program s travel coordinator. Prior to joining the UT training staff in 1997, Jones spent two years at Michigan State where he worked with former UT football coach Nick Saban. During his time with the Spartans, he worked with the football program as well as several Olympic sports. A native of La Porte, IN, Jones received a bachelor of science degree in athletic training from Ball State in Jones also earned a master of science degree in athletic training from Michigan State in Jones has been honored for his work the last two years. He was named the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association s Athletic Trainer of the Year and inducted into Ball State s Cardinal Sports Medicine Society Ring of Honor in Jones and his wife Kim reside in Monclova Township and have two children, Zachary (9) and Avery (5). Jones and his wife Kim, son Zachary, daughter Avery and dog Quinn. Graduate Assistant Video Coordinator Garret Garcia Garret Garcia is in his first year as the graduate assistant video coordinator for the Rockets men s basketball team. Garcia coordinates tape exchange with the opposition, assists with breaking down game film for the coaches and oversees team manager video responsibilities during practices and games. He is also in charge of creating highlight films throughout the season, as well as maintaining the team s social media outlets, which includes Facebook, Twitter and coachtk.com. Garcia spent the last four years as a student assistant with the Toledo men s basketball program. As a student assistant, he oversaw all video operations for the squad and worked directly with the coaching staff in creating scouting reports, video highlights and film databases. Garcia also created various videos which aired during games on the videoboard. During this same period of time, Garcia spent one year working as the Video Board and Ribbon Operator for the Toledo MudHens and the Toledo Walleye. In these roles, he was responsible for operating the video boards and ribbons at Fifth Third Field and Huntington Center for all MudHens and Walleye home games. Garcia created and edited graphics that were used during the game and on the television production. Garcia also worked two years as a student videographer for the UT Communication Department. He covered football, basketball, women s soccer, tennis and volleyball events and made highlight reels for utrockets.com. Along with creating highlight reels for the school s official athletic website, Garcia served as a member of the Savage Area Camera Crew, running the camera for volleyball and women s basketball games. Garcia attended Liberty Benton High School in Findlay, OH, where he was a two-year letterwinner in basketball. As a senior, he earned honorable mention all-conference accolades and helped the Eagles post a perfect 20-0 record in the regular season, finishing first in the 2008 Associated Press Division III poll. A year earlier, Garcia played a key role in helping Liberty Benton to a 26-1 mark and an appearance in the Division III state finals. A Tower Blue Scholarship Award winner, Garcia graduated from UT this past spring with a bachelor s degree in communications. He is continuing his studies at Toledo, pursuing a master s degree in liberal arts To l e d o Ba s k e t b a l l