BOONE - Buzz Peterson, who led Appalachian State men’s basketball to three Southern Conference regular-season championships and an NCAA tournament appearance from 1996-2000, has returned to the school as head coach.
Peterson led the Mountaineers to a 79-39 record, including a 47-12 mark in Southern Conference play, in his first four seasons at Appalachian State. His .669 overall winning percentage and .797 winning percentage in conference play are both tops among head coaches in program history (minimum three seasons).
After orchestrating a turnaround from an 8-20 season in the season before his arrival to a 14-14 record in 1996-97, Peterson coached the Mountaineers to three-consecutive 20-win seasons, Southern Conference North Division titles and appearances in the Southern Conference tournament championship game. The 1999-2000 squad went 23-9 and defeated College of Charleston, 68-56, in the Southern Conference title game to give the program its second NCAA tournament appearance in school history (the first since 1979).
In his four years at Appalachian State, he was twice named Southern Conference Coach of the Year (1998 and 2000).
Following the 1999-2000 season, Peterson became head coach at Tulsa. In his only season at Tulsas, he led the Golden Hurricanes to a 26-11 record and the 2001 National Invitation Tournament championship.
He then moved on to Tennessee, where he posted a 61-59 record from 2001-05. The Vols earned two NIT berths in Peterson’s four seasons there.
Following the stint at Tennessee, he compiled a 35-25 record in two seasons at Coastal Carolina. In his first season at Coastal Carolina (2005-06), the Chanticleers registered their first 20-win season in 13 years and fell in heart-breaking fashion to Winthrop in the 2006 Big South tournament championship game.
In 11 seasons as coach, Peterson has compiled a 201-134 overall record (.600) and led his teams to four postseason appearances.
He left the college game in 2007 to become director of player personnel for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats won a franchise-record 35 games in 2008-09.
- Observer News Services
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Peterson returns to ASU as coach
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5 comments:
Its about time the Observer reported this. This has been "news" since yesterday.
Buzz Ball is Back at App!
There will be Happy Appys next season!
When I was a student there in the early 70s, the school had just jumped from NAIA to NCAA. Not too many wins in those days.
He will bring ASU back into the Southern Conference prominence. Watch it. I was involved with the team during his first stint. What a great hire. Welcome back Buzz.
He treating it like a part time job.
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