June 26, 2008
Contact: Brian McCann
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State men's basketball assistant head coach Jayson Gee recently returned from taking part in the 2008 Achieving Coaching Excellence Program, which was sponsored by the Black Coaches & Administrators.
Gee was one of 18 individuals selected from across the country to take part in the four-day program in Indianapolis.
"It was a real honor to be selected for this program," Gee said. "This was only the second year that men's basketball coaches have been included in it and the results have been outstanding.
"The best part about the program was that we were able to learn from some of the best and the brightest in the industry. Where else can you go and meet in a small group with (NCAA President) Myles Brand and other top coaches and administrators?"
Now in its sixth the year, the ACE program works to help promote the athletic coaching profession to minority basketball coaches. It seeks to identify the top minority assistant coaches within the profession, helping them to grow and develop so that they will be prepared to advance within the profession.
The program accomplishes this by helping to develop innovative approaches to basketball, introducing new game strategies through an exchange of ideas. Participants are taught how to strengthen relationships with student-athletes, how to handle game-day pressures, build support networks, become adept at handling off-court concerns and create new opportunities.
Started in 2003 with a nine-member class of women's basketball assistant coaches, the ACE Program worked with 52 individuals in the first five years with 14 graduates going on to become head coaches at the collegiate level.
Gee, a 20-year coaching veteran who has been at Cleveland State for the past two seasons, served as the head coach at the University of Charleston from 1996-2003, posting a 160-55 record in seven seasons. He guided the Golden Eagles to six 20-win seasons and made four appearances in the NCAA Championship.
A 1988 graduate of Charleston, Gee began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Youngstown State (1989-93). He has also worked at Ohio University (1993-96), and St. Bonaventure (2004-06).
