Assistant coaches hired
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 10:32 am
From SMUMustangs.com:
Cliff Warren was named an assistant coach by Head Coach Rob Lanier in April of 2022. Warren brings more than 25 years of coaching experience to the Hilltop, including nine seasons as a head coach. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach for Lanier at Georgia State.
In his three seasons at Georgia State, the Panthers went 53-30, winning the Sun Belt Tournament in 2022 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers also made the Sun Belt Tournament final in 2021. Additionally, he led GSU to a victory over Georgia Tech, the program’s first win over an ACC opponent. The Panthers also claimed the 2019-20 2K Empire Classic Riverside Regional.
Warren joined the Georgia State staff in after two years as associate head coach at Massachusetts (2017-19). Prior to his stint at UMass, Warren was on the staff for three years at Maryland (2014-17). Warren helped the Terrapins collect 79 victories and earn three NCAA Tournament berths. Maryland was 38-16 (.704) in its first three seasons in the Big Ten and had five All-Big Ten performers, including all-American guard Melo Trimble.
The all-time winningest head coach in Jacksonville University men’s basketball history, Warren spent nine seasons (2005-14) as the Dolphins’ program leader. Warren accounted for 126 victories and led the Dolphins to a pair of Atlantic Sun Championships in 2009 and 2010. He was also named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year after the 2008-09 season.
Warren spent five seasons as an assistant to Paul Hewitt at Georgia Tech. There he helped the Yellow Jackets win 96 games and make three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the school’s first-ever trip to the NCAA National Championship game in 2004.
Warren also served three successful years at Siena College under Hewitt, when the Saints went 66- 27, collected two postseason berths and made three straight appearances in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game.
Warren began his coaching career at his alma mater, Mount St. Mary’s, under legendary program leader Jim Phelan. The Mountaineers reached their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1995 during Warren’s tenure as an assistant coach and followed with a Northeast Conference regular season title and NIT berth in 1996.
A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Warren earned his bachelors of science degree in business finance from Mount St. Mary’s in 1990. He then worked with the Mountaineers as a graduate assistant coach and earned a master of business administration in 1993. He was a two-year starter at Mount St. Mary’s and capped his collegiate playing days ranked in the top five in program history for assists.
Warren is married to the former Jennifer Love. The two have a pair of boys, J.C. and Clark.