Gardner-Webb Men's Basketball Announces Staff
May 21, 2010 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb men's basketball
announced Friday that Jay McAuley, Mike Netti and Michael Lee had
been hired as assistant coaches.
The trio will join new head coach Chris Holtmann in rebuilding
Gardner-Webb into a contender in the Big South Conference.
"I am very excited about the addition of Jay, Mike and
Michael," said Holtmann. "They will represent Gardner-Webb
University well and are committed to working very hard in building
a successful men's basketball program here. They understand the
work ahead and are very excited about the opportunity to be
here."
McAuley comes to Gardner-Webb after spending the previous two
seasons at nearby Wofford College. In his two seasons with the
Terriers, McAuley helped the squad to the its two most successful
years at the Division I level - which included 42 wins, the 2010
Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles and a near
upset of Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to joining the Wofford staff in 2008, McAuley spent one
season as a graduate manager at the University of Georgia, handling
film exchange, video editing and scouting report preparation.
The Marietta, Ga., native played four seasons for the Bulldogs
in Athens as a walk-on, earning his roster spot through open
tryouts. As a junior, he saw action in 17 games with starts against
Auburn and Clemson. McAuley was named co-captain as a senior.
McAuley earned a bachelor's degree in business education from
Georgia in 2006 and a master's degree in physical education in
2008. He was a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a
student-athlete.
"I have known Jay for a couple years I know that his
experience being a student-athlete in the SEC and his experience as
an assistant coach at a program I really respect in Wofford the
past two years have been great preparation for the challenges that
lie ahead," Holtmann said. "He is a bright, young coach with a
tireless work ethic who is a tremendous addition to our
staff."
Netti will make a return to Gardner-Webb, after spending the
past two seasons as head coach at Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College
and the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at St. Francis
(N.Y.) University in Brooklyn.
Netti directed Lackawanna to 43 wins in his two seasons as
head coach, including a 25-7 mark in 2008-09. Two of his players
with the Falcons went on to earn NJCAA Division II All-America
honors and one went on to sign with a Big East Conference
program.
The Liverpool, N.Y., native spent four seasons as an assistant
at Gardner-Webb - from 2002-2006 - helping the Runnin' Bulldogs to
two of the best years at the Division I level. He was on the bench
for the squad's 2004-2005 Atlantic Sun Conference regular season
title and saw the 'Dogs win 35 games between 2004-2006, including a
pair of wins over East Carolina and an upset of Minnesota.
He was instrumental in the development of two-time Atlantic
Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year Tim Jennings and a pair
of recruiting classes that were ranked No. 1 in the league by Hoop
Scoop.
Netti is a 2002 graduate of Syracuse University. Netti played
basketball at Division III Alvernia College in Reading, Pa., where
he was a two-time varsity Letter-winner. In 2000, Alvernia won the
Pennsylvania Athletic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA
Division III National Tournament. During his time at Alvernia,
Netti was also the team's representative on the NCAA
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
"My relationship with Mike dates back nearly 10 years now and
I have seen first hand his development in this profession,"
Holtmann said. "He did a terrific job as the head coach at
Lackawanna these past few years, both in recruiting high-level
talent and putting a well prepared team on the court. Mike is a
high energy, aggressive and tireless worker."
Lee will enter his third season at Gardner-Webb, having served
for the past two seasons as an assistant coach in Boiling Springs.
The Portland, Ore., native was the first hire made once Holtmann
was named head coach.
Lee played four seasons at Kansas and was a part of two Final
Four teams during that time, including a runner up finish with the
Jayhawks in 2003. Prior to joining the Gardner-Webb staff before
the 2008-2009 season, he served as a graduate manager at his alma
mater during the Jayhawks' run to the 2008 National
Championship.
Lee graduated from Kansas in 2005 with a degree in sociology.
He spent time as a professional player on the international level
and also had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters.
"You don't have to be around Michael very long to understand
why he was such a successful player at Kansas," Holtmann said. "He
has a terrific attitude and approach and I think he has a very,
very bright future in this business. He is very energetic and
hungry and brings instant credibility because he has been where
most players want to go."
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