KSMG Proudly Announces New College Coaching Division

Kauffman Sports Management Group Proudly Announces New College Coaching Division

SHERMAN OAKS, California – 3/12/2012 – Kauffman Sports Management Group (KSMG) is proud to announce that they have started a new college coaching division within the firm. 

Using the same principles and expertise that has built the firm, KSMG is honored to be joined by coaches Dave Rice, Justin Hutson, Ed DeChellis, Russell Turner, and Dave Pilipovich as the first clients.  These coaches have not only been successful on the floor, but also share the same values that KSMG is looking to build a new division upon.

As the head coach at UNLV, Dave Rice has already set a number of school records in his first year with the program.  Rice has not only won more games in his first year than any other head coach in UNLV history, but was also the quickest to win 20.  The Rebels earned a #6 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, the highest for the program since 1991.  A Rhodes Scholar candidate and a two-time winner of UNLV’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a student, Rice was also a part of the 1990 NCAA National Championship team as a player.  Rice returned to UNLV with 18 years of Division-I coaching experience.  In 2008, Rice was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach at Brigham Young University.  During his time at BYU, Rice helped the team reach five straight 25-win seasons, five consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, and four Mountain West Championships.  KSMG will co-represent Coach Rice with NextLevel Sports Marketing & Representation, LLC.

Justin Hutson currently serves as the associate head coach at UNLV and has been successful at each of his previous programs.  A back-to-back NCAA Division II champion as a collegiate player, Huston led Bakersfield High School to a 2003 CIF Central Section Championship in his first head coaching stint.  After beginning his NCAA coaching career at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Hutson was an instrumental part of San Diego State’s rise to becoming a top program on the west coast.  Now, at UNLV, Hutson has helped the program reach its highest ranking (#11) since 1993.

Ed DeChellis, a former Big Ten Coach of the Year, signed as the new head coach of the United States Naval Academy in May of 2011.  During the previous eight years, DeChellis successfully set school records at Penn State University in wins and led them to their first ever national tournament title when the team won the 2009 NIT Tournament.  As the 2006 National Coaches vs. Cancer Man of the Year, DeChellis is well recognized for his contributions in raising funds and awareness in the fight against cancer.  In addition, students have also succeeded on an academic level under DeChellis.  Each senior that played for him at Penn St. earned his degree and, in 2007, Penn St. earned a record eight Academic All Big Ten honorees.

As the head coach at UC Irvine, Russell Turner has built a program that just earned their first postseason victory since 2008. Turner is experienced in both the NBA and collegiate levels, having served as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors from 2004-2010.  Prior to joining the Warriors, Turner won two ACC Championships, two Pac-10 Championships, and an NIT title in his position as an assistant coach with Wake Forest University and Stanford University.

Dave Pilipovich was named head coach of the Air Force Academy on March 4^th, 2012.  With over 26 years of coaching experience, Pilipovich led Air Force to victories over the University of Wyoming and #15 ranked San Diego State in just his first 3 games at the helm.  The victory over San Diego State marked Air Force’s first win over a ranked opponent since 1992 and ended their losing streak versus a top-20 opponent at 64 games.

For more information about Kauffman Sports Management Group and its clients, please visit www.kauffmansports.com. 

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