USD Men's Basketball 2008-2009

basketball coach."

A highly motivated, detailed and results oriented basketball coach with excellent commu– nication and teaching skills, Grier played an integral role in Gonzaga's arrival on the national scene. He began his career at Gonzaga in 1992 under head coach Dan Fitzgerald where he served as the restricted-earnings assistant for six years. He was elevated to a full-time assis– tant for the 1997-98 season when Dan Monson took over the head coaching reigns. During his two seasons under Monson, the Bulldogs went 52-17, won back-to-back WCC titles, went to the 1998 NIT Sweet Sixteen and made it to the 1999 NCAA Elite Eight. In July, 1999, when Monson accepted the Minnesota job, Mark Few was made the head coach and Grier stayed where he was promoted to top assistant. Over the past eight years Gonzaga saw nothing but continued success with the teams compiling a 211-52 record over that span. During this time the Zags won the WCC regular-season title seven times;the WCCTournament title seven times; advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including three trips to the Sweet Sixteen; and finished ranked in the top-10 of the final AP poll three times (2004-2006). Overall with Grier as an assistant coach, the Bulldogs have combined for an overall record of 381-126; won 11 regular-season WCC championships; won nine WCC Tournament titles (33-7 1 wee tournament record); advanced to nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and ten overall, including four Sweet 16 appearances and the 1999 Elite Eight. 1 The last ten years Grier was the "defensive coordinator" for the Bulldogs, as well as being re– sponsible for ten recruiting classes. He has developed the program into one known for its defense as much as it is for its offense. Since assuming the defensive role under former head coach Dan Monson, Gonzaga has led the WCC in field goal percentage defense six times, in– cluding the 3rd best mark in the nation in 2004. Responsible for the past ten recruiting classes, his 2007 class is the program 1 s best yet, ranked 11th-best in the nation by the Rivals.com re– cruiting service. Four recruits in the 2007 class rank in the top-100 in their class. He also successfully developed both post players (1997-2003) and perimeter players (2003- 2007). Post players Bakari Hendrix (1998) and Casey Calvary (2001) were both WCC Players of the Year. Perimeter players he worked with included Derek Raivio (2007), the WCC Player of the Year; Adam Morrison (2006), a 1st team All-American and WCC Player of the Year; and Blake Stepp (2004), a 2nd team All-American and two-time WCC Player of the Year.

Grier started his coaching career at his alma mater, Cottage Grove High School in 1986. After serving two years as a freshman coach, Grier was elevated r-----c=:i to junior varsity coach and varsity assistant. Grier left Cottage Grove to be the head coach at Creswell High School during the 1990-91 season. He played two years in junior college (Central Oregon and South– western Oregon), then transferred to Oregon where he received a B.S. degree in Leisure Studies and Ser– vices in 1990. Bill and his wife, Nicole (Styles) were married in Au– gust of 1996. The couple became parents with the arrival of Giselle Marie on March 4, 2006, just two days prior to Gonzaga's home semifinal game in the WCC Tournament.

Bill, Nicole and daughter Giselle