Hillsman Tabs Read as Assistant Coach
6/20/2011 9:21:32 AM | Women's Basketball
SYRACUSE – Syracuse University head coach Quentin Hillsman has announced the hiring of Vonn Read as an assistant coach. Read has a long coaching history that includes professional stints in the NBA, WNBA, USBL and collegiate stops at Kentucky and Albany.
"We are thrilled to add someone of Read's caliber to our program," Hillsman said. "With his 14 years of experience including six years in the professional ranks and eight years in college basketball, he is one of the most respected coaches and scouts on the east coast and we are excited to add him to our basketball family."
Read replaces Rick Moody, who retired after a four-year tenure with the Orange.
Most recently at UAlbany, Read was the team's scouting coordinator and was responsible for coaching the post players.
“This is a real awesome opportunity. Coach Hillsman has a great reputation and has done a great job at Syracuse University. He has a very good team returning in 2011-12 and I am excited to be a part of it,” Reed said. “My strengths are with the X's and O's of basketball and I feel that I can help the program reach that next level.”
Read helped guide Kentucky to three consecutive postseason tournaments, which included one of the most successful runs in program history in 2005-06. He coached the squad's post players and assisted with developing the team's offensive and defensive systems as well as scouting upcoming opponents. In 2006, the Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Tournament after posting a school-record nine Southeastern Conference wins, which included a victory over No. 1 Tennessee. The program garnered a national ranking for the first time in 13 years. Kentucky also qualified for the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) twice.
Before his tenure at Kentucky, Read served as an assistant coach under Dale Osbourne for the United States Basketball League's Dodge City Legend in 2005 and helped the team win the league title. Read spent the 2004 WNBA season as an assistant coach in charge of player development for the San Antonio Silver Stars under former NBA standout Dee Brown. In 2003, Read was an advance scout for the Charlotte Sting, and he also worked with Brown as an assistant coach for the league's Orlando Miracle during the 2002 season.
Prior to his tenure with the Stars, Read spent five years with the NBA's Orlando Magic under head coach Doc Rivers. In addition, Read was an assistant coach for the Magic's summer league team in 2001.
Read's first professional coaching stop came on Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller's staff for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. During the 2000 season, he helped lead the Mercury to the playoffs and post what was then a franchise-best 20-12 record.
A talented writer, Read has published six basketball playbooks, which are in a series of books called "The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays." He has also written numerous articles for various basketball publications.
A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Reed served in the United States Army from 1989-93 at Fort Drum, N.Y., and Fort Lee, Va. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1997 from Clark Atlanta University, where he was a member of the men's tennis team. He has a 18-year-old daughter, April.
