Solomon named at St. Bonaventure

OLEAN, N.Y., May 5 (UPI) -- As first reported, Anthony Solomon Monday was named head men's basketball coach at St. Bonaventure, replacing the fired Jan van Breda Kolff.

ESPN first reported Friday that Solomon, 38, would get the job. He has been an assistant at Notre Dame for the past three years under Mike Brey, played collegiately at Virginia, and will take over a program mired in turmoil.

"Anthony Solomon has the leadership, experience and character that are critical to St. Bonaventure University and our men's basketball program," said St. Bonaventure Athletic Director Paul Grys. "He is one of the bright young coaches in the game, and we are thrilled to have him. He is a balanced man who is equally dedicated and passionate about both his work and his family. We think he is a perfect fit."

"St. Bonaventure is a tradition-rich basketball program that really excites me," Solomon said. "I feel honored and blessed that I am able to begin my career as a head coach at St. Bonaventure. The values that are stressed by the University are the values I've lived throughout my life. With my 15 years of experience in the coaching profession, I feel that I have prepared myself for this opportunity."

Solomon's responsibilities at Notre Dame included recruiting, academic development, game planning, and scouting of opponents with specific coaching duties with the perimeter players. Among the players, he helped recruit to Notre Dame was Torin Francis, a high school All-American forward from Massachusetts.

Prior to working at Notre Dame, Solomon spent six seasons at Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

He was Assistant Athletic Director for Basketball Operations at Clemson from 1998-2000. In his first season there, the Tigers went 20-15 and advanced to the championship game of the NIT.

He had been an assistant coach at his alma mater for four seasons from 1994-98, and also has been an assistant at Richmond, Manhattan, and Bowling Green.

Last month, van Breda Kolff was fired after a university investigation determined he had violated NCAA rules related to a player eligibility scandal.

In early March, the Atlantic 10 Conference stripped the Bonnies of six league victories, and barred them from the conference tournament after center James Terrell was ruled ineligible for violating NCAA junior college transfer guidelines.

That led to a boycott by the players, which forced the school to forfeit its final two regular season games against Massachusetts and Dayton.

The university was widely criticized for allowing the players to dictate policy, and there was even some speculation that the A-10 would expel the school from the league.

While that did not happen, the controversy surrounding Terrell and the player boycott, did lead to the resignation of University President Robert Wickenheiser and Athletic Director Gothard Lane.