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Wednesday, May 5, 2010
WSU hires former Western Michigan assistant coach
Wright State basketball coach Billy Donlon hired another piece of his new staff on Wednesday, May 5, when former Western Michigan assistant coach Clayton Bates joined the program.
Bates had been a Western Michigan assistant for nine seasons and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
“I don’t know if I could’ve found a better person, or somebody more capable of doing the job then Clayton Bates,” Donlon said Wednesday morning. “His track record of success speaks for itself.”
Bates played at Florida as a walk-on who later earned a scholarship for coach Lon Kruger, who hired Bates at Illinois in 1997 as an administrative assistant. He then moved to Jacksonville University, where he was an assistant until joining Western Michigan in 2000.
At WMU, Bates was part of four of the seven 20-win seasons in school history. He briefly left coaching in 2008 to concentrate on his young family and work for a medical supply company, but he returned to the Western Michigan staff the next season.
During his time at WMU, the Broncos appeared in the 2004 NCAA tournament and NITs in 2003 and ‘05.
Bates is also a former colleague of current University of Dayton assistant Cornell Mann, who came to the Flyers from Western Michigan.
Donlon, who was promoted from associate head coach last month, has another assistant coach and director of basketball operations jobs to fill. He had previously promoted director of basketball operations Scott Woods to assistant coach.
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TweetDonlon building rapport with Indiana guard
Kendall Griffin of Avon (Ind.) High School first visited Wright State last summer, and that’s when his relationship with coach Billy Donlon increased.
Since, Donlon, who was then an assistant coach but was promoted to head coach last month, has continued to build a rapport with the 6-foot-5 junior guard, and Griffin is mulling a scholarship offer from the Raiders.
“I really like him,” said Griffin, who will again play for the respected Spiece Select AAU program this summer, of Donlon. “I’ve talked to him on the phone, and he keeps up on me.”
Griffin’s coach at Avon High School, Jason Young, said Donlon has been impressive in building that relationship with Griffin’s family, an athletic group that has already produced a sister who plays volleyball at Purdue. Young added that Griffin is ranked sixth in his high school class academically and is a highly regarded football recruit at wide receiver.
Griffin has started for Avon since his freshman season, and he was team’s leading scorer as both a freshman and a sophomore at about 13 points per game. Last season, Avon added 6-9 sophomore Austin Burgett, who scored 14 points per game to Griffin’s steady 13.
“He’s one of those kids who could’ve picked any sport and been a Division I athlete,” Young said. “He’s an outstanding golfer, and he has great hands in football. He’s consistently been our hardest worker.”
Griffin said he has also received offers from Evansville and Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne.
Avon, which sits about 13 miles west of Indianapolis, finished 12-9 last season.
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