April 23, 2012
Contact: Greg Murphy
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State associate head men's basketball coach Jayson Gee has been selected to participate in Villa 7, a program which brings together university athletics directors and the country's elite assistant coaches in an effort to prepare the next generation of college basketball leaders.
The two-day program will take place on May 9-10 at the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Ore.
"It is an honor to be selected to take part in this program and to be considered one of the elite assistant coaches in the country," Gee said. "This is a tribute to Gary Waters and his outstanding leadership skills."
Gee recently completed his sixth season on the Cleveland State staff. During his time on the bench, he has helped the Vikings to a pair of Horizon League Championships, one NCAA bid and three NIT berths. The 2009 squad advanced to the final 32 of the NCAA tournament following an opening round win over Wake Forest.
Gee plays a significant role in virtually every aspect of the CSU program. On the court, he works with the Vikings post players while also assisting head coach Gary Waters in developing game strategy. Off the court, he serves as the recruiting coordinator, is responsible for putting together the schedule and monitors the academic progress of the players.
During the 2008-09 season, CollegeBasketballInsider.com rated Gee as the No. 5 mid-major assistant coach in the country.
Gee began his coaching career at Youngstown State in 1989, becoming one of the youngest Division I assistant coaches in nation. After four seasons at YSU, Gee moved to Ohio University as an associate head coach, helping the Bobcats to the 1994 Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament title, as well as the 1994 Preseason NIT title.
In 1996, Gee took over as the head coach at Charleston, his alma mater, leading the Golden Eagles to a 160-55 record over seven season, including six 20-win campaigns and four NCAA berths. He was the league coach of the year in 1999-2000 and was a finalist for national coach of the year honors after leading his squad to a 28-4 mark.
Gee moved on to St. Bonaventure where he served as associate head coach from 2003-06 before arriving at Cleveland State in 2006.
