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 Colonials' head coach Karl Hobbs directed GW to its first A-10 Tournament championship in school history this past season. |
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Karl Hobbs, Billy Gillispie Called Upon to Assist at 2005 USA Men's World University Games Team Trials
May 19, 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- George Washington University head coach Karl Hobbs and University of Texas A&M head coach Billy Gillispie will serve as court coaches at the 2005 USA Men's World University Games Team Trials, USA Basketball announced today.
The Trials court coaching staff is responsible for conducting drills, coaching scrimmages and working with players who will be vying for spots on the 2005 USA World University Games Team. The pair will assist the 2005 USA World University Games Team coaching staff, headed by Villanova University's Jay Wright at the July 28-31 Trials, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.Wright's staff is rounded out by collegiate head coaches Jeff Capel of Virginia Commonwealth University and Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan College (N.Y.).
The 2005 World University Games Team Trials will feature approximately 25 of the nation's top collegians and will be used to select finalists for the 2005 USA World University Games Team.
The first Trials session will take place on Thursday, July 28 at 4:00 p.m. (all times local). On July 29, 30 and 31 two daily sessions will be held with times to be determined. Team finalists will remain in Colorado Springs for the USA's Aug. 1-4 training camp and the eventual 12-member USA squad will be announced before the team departs for Turkey. The U.S. will practice Aug. 7-10 in Izmir, Turkey, before tipping off play at the 2005 World University Games on Aug. 11.
"I'm really looking forward to this opportunity," said Hobbs. "For a young coach like myself, finishing my fourth year, it's a great honor to be a part of such a great organization like USA Basketball in preparing our young men to compete on the international scene. You're really becoming a part of world basketball with this and it is an honor."
After spending his first two years (2001-02 and 2003-04) at George Washington putting his system in place, Hobbs has posted vast improvements over the last two years. Hobbs' team in 2003-04 finished the season with an 18-12 record, including 11-5 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and received an invite to the 2004 NIT. His accomplishments didn't go unnoticed as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named Hobbs the District Coach of the Year.
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Continuing to better his record, this past year Hobbs piloted his squad to a 22-8 slate and finished 11-5 in the conference to win the A-10 West Division title. Carrying on the winning ways beyond the regular season, Hobbs directed the Colonials to their first Atlantic 10 Tournament championship in school history and earned an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Prior to taking the reigns at George Washington, Hobbs worked the sidelines at the University of Connecticut for eight years (1993-94 thorough 2000-01) under Jim Calhoun. One of Connecticut's top recruiters, Hobbs helped land 2004 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team member Emeka Okafor, as well as Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, Khalid El-Amin, Kevin Freeman and Richard Hamilton. During Hobbs' tenure in Storrs, the Huskies compiled a 216-56 record (.794 winning percentage), competed in six NCAA Tournaments and two NITs, won the 1999 NCAA championship, advanced to the 1995 and 1998 Elite Eight, as well as the 1994 and 1996 Sweet Sixteen, and collected five Big East Conference crowns (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999).
Hobbs arrived at UConn after six years (1987-88 through 1992-93) as an assistant coach at Boston University where he helped the Terriers run up a 101-77 record (.567 winning percentage). Additionally, BU won the 1989 and 1991 North Atlantic Conference championships and competed in the NCAA Tournament both of those years.
A four-year starter for Connecticut, Hobbs completed his collegiate career in 1984 and led the Huskies in assists all four years. He compiled 534 assists (4.7 apg.), which ranks fifth on the all-time Huskies assist list, and 900 points (8.0 apg.), while starting 104 of 113 games played. A three-time Big East Rookie of the Week selection in 1980-81, Hobbs earned 1984 All-Big East third team honors as a senior.
As a prep player and teammate of Patrick Ewing at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School (MA), Hobbs helped his team to a Massachusetts state championship and was named the 1980 Massachusetts Schoolboy Player of the Year.
