NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans athletic director Amy Champion announced Thursday morning that head men's basketball coach Joe Pasternack has taken a position as an assistant at the University of Arizona.
“I want to thank UNO and my players for the opportunity over the last four years,” said Pasternack. “It is very difficult to leave the city of New Orleans.”
“Joining one of the elite basketball programs in the country and working for one of the top coaches in college basketball – Sean Miller – was not an opportunity that I could pass up. I wish UNO the best of luck in its transition to Division II.”
Pasternack served as head coach of the Privateers for four seasons and posted an overall record of 54-60. The head coach's 2010-11 squad posted a 16-6 record to top the standings amongst Division I Independent institutions.
“Joe has been communicative throughout this process and this is an opportunity to return to one of the top leagues in the country, one which launched him to his first head coaching position,” said Champion. “We would like to thank him for his four years of service to UNO and the men's basketball program.”
This will be Pasternack's second stint in the Pac-10 (soon to be Pac-12) Conference. Prior to joining the Privateers before the 2007-08 campaign, Pasternack served eight years as an assistant at Cal-Berkley under current Rice head coach Ben Braun, the first two as a video coordinator.
Prior to his move to California, the New Orleans native was a student manager under legendary coach Bobby Knight at Indiana.
“Our goal is to have a head coach in place by July 1 that will be the right fit to lead our men's basketball program into Division II,” said Champion. “When we announced our transition several months back, I received numerous inquiries from a long list of very qualified individuals, even though we already had a head coach in place.”
Champion is in the midst of forming a committee that will assist her in conducting a national search to fill the vacancy.
