Title Head coach 1999–2004 Utah (asst.) Team College of Idaho Name Scott Garson | Record 58–12 Positions Basketball positions 1994–1995 Washington (MO) | |
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Born April 24, 1976 (age 48)
Tarzana, California ( 1976-04-24 ) 1996–1998 Santa Barbara HS (JV/asst. varsity) Conference Cascade Collegiate Conference Alma mater University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Utah | ||
Interview with basketball coach scott garson
Scott Jon Garson (born April 24, 1976) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head men’s basketball coach at the College of Idaho.
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Prior to that, Garson was an assistant men's basketball coach at UCLA and the University of Utah. Garson was a part of the under-18 US men's basketball team coaching staff at the 2015 Maccabi Games.
Basketball Coach
Scott Garson recently completed his fourth season as head coach of the Coyote men's basketball program. During his first four seasons, Garson has led the Yotes to a 99-35 record, two Cascade Collegiate Conference championships, two CCC tournament championships, and a home mark of 59-8. During his tenure, home attendance has nearly doubled, with the C of I leading the NAIA in home attendance during the 2014-15 campaign and finishing second during the 2015–16 and 2016-17 seasons.
Garson has led the Yotes to the 2014 and 2015 CCC regular-season and tournament titles - the first C of I men's basketball teams to win back-to-back league crowns since the 1950s. His 2014-15 team posted 30-6 record, the second-most single-season victories in the school’s 105-year men’s basketball program history. The Coyotes have climbed as high as No. 2 in the NAIA Division II Top-25 poll in each of Garson’s first two seasons. During the 2014-15 season, the Yotes led the NAIA in home attendance with a larger average home crowd than over 100 NCAA Division I programs.
The Yotes have advanced to the CCC Tournament in each of Garson's four seasons, winning it twice. They have advanced to three NAIA Division II National Tournaments during that span. Garson has an 10-5 postseason record, including a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2015 NAIA Division II National Championships.
Prior to coming to taking the reigns as C of I’s head coach, Garson was an assistant coach at UCLA under Ben Howland, the current Mississippi State head coach. Garson served under Howland from 2004–13, working his first two seasons as the Bruins video coordinator before being elevated to assistant coach. Garson was responsible for the development of perimeter players – including current NBA stars, Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday, Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, Norman Powell, and Jordan Adams. Garson also was responsible for the recruitment of Zach LaVine, the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and current back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion. During Garson’s tenure at UCLA, the Bruins amassed a record of 222-90, including Pac-10 titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008, a Pac-12 title in 2013, as well as Pac-10 Tournament titles in 2006 and 2008. The Bruins qualified for six NCAA National Tournaments and made trips to the Final Four in 2006, 2007 and 2008 – reaching the national championship game in 2006. Garson was instrumental in the recruiting efforts for the Bruins, who claimed ESPN’s No. 1 recruiting class in both 2008 and 2012. A total of 15 players recruited or coached by Garson have been selected in the NBA Draft.
Garson spent five seasons at the University of Utah under hall-of-fame coach and mentor, Rick Majerus. Garson served as a graduate assistant, video coordinator and, in his final year, as an assistant coach for Majerus. The Utes won three Mountain West Conference titles and advanced to the NCAA National Tournament four times during Garson’s time there. During the 1998-99 season, Garson served as the video coordinator and administrative assistant at Pepperdine University under current University of Washington head coach, Lorenzo Romar, for one season.
Honors
Garson was the recipient of the 2015 Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year Award, and in 2014, he was named CCC Coach of the Year. In his four seasons at C of I, Garson has coached four NAIA All-Americans (Joey Nebeker, Josh Wilson, Demetrius Perkins, Taylor Pruett), with Wilson earning CCC Player of the Year honors in 2015; Sydney Donaldson earning CCC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2014; and Emanuel Morgan earning CCC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017. In all, 13 players under Garson have earned All-CCC honors and 11 players have been honored as Academic All-CCC selections.
Garson is the current NAIA national rater for the CCC and is a member of the NAIA Men's Basketball Executive Committee.
Early and Personal Life
Garson played one season of college basketball and baseball at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., before transferring to UC-Santa Barbara, where he earned a bachelor of arts in law and society. While at Utah, he received a master of science in exercise and sports science, with an emphasis in sport psychology. The Garson family welcomed son Sidney into the world in January 2017. A Southern California native, Garson’s parents still reside in Calabasas, Calif., and his younger brother, Chad, a former left-handed pitcher at the University of Michigan, resides in Los Angeles, Calif.