May 7, 2003

CLEVELAND - Cleveland State head men's basketball coach Mike Garland has announced the hiring of three assistant men's basketball coaches. Rick Albro, Sean Bledsoe and Luke Brown will comprise his first staff beginning in 2003-04.

"Each one of these individuals brings a unique quality to Cleveland State that will play an integral part in moving CSU basketball in a positive direction," said Garland. "This is my first opportunity to put a staff together and I couldn't be more excited about having Rick, Sean and Luke on board."

Albro, a 1971 graduate of Western Michigan, had served as head coach and sports information director at Aquinas College since 1990. As head coach of the Saints, he compiled an overall record of 199-205. Previously, he had been a coach and teacher at three Michigan high schools.

Bledsoe comes to Cleveland State after serving as an assistant coach at Bowling Green since 2001. The University of Indianapolis graduate was also an administrative assistant at Indiana State in 2000-01 and head coach of the Wilberforce University men's basketball program from 1998-2000.

Brown received a bachelor's degree from Michigan State in 2001 and was a four-year letter winner as a student manager with the Spartans. Most recently, he served for the past two seasons as the video coordinator under MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo. Brown was on Izzo's staff with Garland for the last six years.

Garland became the 13th head coach in the program's history on April 17, 2003. He spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant under Izzo.