SLU Adds Giacoletti

Editor: The following is part of a press release from slubillikens.com.

(St. Louis, MO) – Longtime NCAA Division I head coach Ray Giacoletti has been named Assistant to the Head Coach on Travis Ford’s staff at Saint Louis University.

Giacoletti has 14 years of experience as a head coach, including stints at Utah and Eastern Washington where he guided teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“I am thrilled to join the Saint Louis University staff,” Giacoletti said. “I have long been impressed with Travis Ford, both as a player and as a coach. He is building something very special at Saint Louis, and I look forward to working with this great staff and great players as we continue to raise the profile of SLU basketball.”

“We are really excited about Ray joining the Billiken Basketball family,” Ford said. “He brings an enormous amount of valuable experience and knowledge to our basketball team. He has been a part of a lot of great programs as both a head coach and assistant coach, and he will a great be asset to our players and our staff.”

Giacoletti’s experience as a head coach includes three years at North Dakota State, four years at Eastern Washington, three years at Utah, and four years at Drake. In addition to his head coaching experience, Giacoletti served as an assistant coach for six years at Gonzaga under Mark Few. The Bulldogs went to six straight NCAA Tournaments, won five West Coast Conference titles and posted a 163-41 record during Giacoletti’s time at Gonzaga.

After being named the 2004 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year and leading Eastern Washington to the NCAA Tournament, Giacoletti was hired at Utah in 2004 to replace Rick Majerus. Giacoletti led the Utes to an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2005 and was a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year honors. He has a 14-year head coaching record of 203-192.

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Giacoletti graduated from Minot State University with a degree in physical education in 1985. He was a four-year letterman on the court, including two years as team captain.