June 20, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University head basketball coach Kerry Keating announced today the hiring of James Ware as an assistant coach. Ware spent the last two seasons at Utah State University and has experience as a player and a coach in the Big Ten, the Big 12, Western Athletic and Mountain West Conferences. In addition, Keating also announced Dustin Kerns has been elevated to assistant coach after working last season as the director of operations for the Broncos.
"I am excited to add James to the staff. He brings great pedigree from Ken Novak to Stew Morrill, and has been successful in his career both as a player and a coach. He will fit in well in our family and will help us continue to recruit quality young men to the Mission Campus," said Keating who enters his second year at Bronco helm."
"The opportunity to work with one of the top young coaches in the country in Kerry Keating at an unbelievable academic institution is exciting," said Ware. "I have always known when I stopped playing I would coach. The coaching profession gives me a chance to have an impact on a group of young men both through academics and the game of basketball."
In Ware's last season with the Aggies, they were 24-11, including a 17-0 record at home, before falling in the first round of the NIT to Illinois State. Utah State notched its ninth-straight 20-win season, won a share of its first-ever WAC regular season championship with a 12-4 league mark and advanced to its ninth straight postseason (5 NCAA, 4 NIT).
Prior to joining the Utah State staff, Ware spent the previous three seasons as the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Minnesota for head coach Dan Monson. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Hopkins (Minn.) High School from 2000-03, where he coached Kris Humphries, who went on to earn All-American honors at Minnesota before being drafted in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, and Santa Clara forward Mitch Henke '08.
Ware, 31, began his collegiate career at Colorado State University for then head coach Stew Morrill before transferring to Midland (Texas) Junior College for one season. He was then a two-year starter at Texas Tech University and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2000, along with being named academic all-conference.
Ware prepped at Hopkins (Minn.) High School where he was an all-state and all-metro selection during his senior season, as well as being a Mr. Basketball finalist in Minnesota. During his three years in high school, Hopkins compiled an overall record of 75-5.
Ware graduated from Texas Tech University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and then earned his Master's degree in Education and Human Development with an emphasis in sports management from the University of Minnesota in 2003.
A native of Hopkins, Minn., Ware and his wife Tamika have two sons, Jimmy (6) and J.J. (4).
