Gouard returns to UIndy as new men’s basketball coach
By Sami Shelton & Adrian Kendrick
News Editor & Feature Editor
The University of Indianapolis Athletic Department announced Stan Gouard as the new men’s basketball head coach during a press conference held April 3 in Nicoson Hall.
Gouard served as assistant coach at UIndy under former coach Todd Sturgeon from 2002-05. During Gouard’s time at UIndy, the Greyhounds had a 47-31 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament all three seasons. Since then, Gouard has spent three years as assistant coach at Indiana State University.
“It means a whole lot to be back,” Gouard said. “It was one of the saddest days in a long time when I left here, but I knew one day I would have the opportunity to come back. I’m so honored to be here.”
UIndy Athletic Director Dr. Sue Willey said that Gouard is a great fit for the Greyhound basketball program.
“Stan is a quality young man with strong family values and a strong passion for basketball,” Willey said. “He represents everything that is good in basketball and athletics, and he stands for everything that we’re trying to do with our program.”
Gouard will replace interim head coach Royce Waltman, who was hired after former head coach Sturgeon resigned on Oct. 1, 2007. According to Willey, Waltman chose not to apply for the head coach position after last season.
“There is no one who knows x’s and o’s better than Royce Waltman,” Willey said. “But what I wanted for the program and what he wanted for the program were philosophically different.”
Gouard said that UIndy has always held a special place in his heart.
“I wanted to come back to UIndy because the academic standards of this university are so high, the [GLVC] conference is challenging and Dr. Willey and Dr. Pitts are great leaders and even better people,” Gouard said.
Gouard said that his two greatest passions are his family and basketball. He is the youngest in a family of eight, and has 21 nieces and nephews. Although he does not have any children himself, Gouard and wife, Chasity, like to think of the team as part of their family.
“I have an open-door policy, and I hope the players will be able to come and talk to me about anything,” Gouard said. “I like to have the guys over to my house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, so we can have time to kick back and relax and talk about things other than basketball. This is a family, not just a basketball team.”
Gouard also said that academic integrity is very important to him and to a good basketball team overall.
“My No. 1 priority is to graduate our student athletes, because good academics in the classroom carries over to the basketball court,” he said. “I want to build this team on hard work and doing things the right way both on and off the court.”
Junior forward Braxton Mills said that he believes Gouard will be a good addition to the Greyhound team.
“We’re going to work hard with coach Gouard,” Mills said. “Everyone wants to win, and us incoming seniors only have one more shot at winning a national championship. We want to go out with a bang.”
Gouard played under current University of Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl at the University of Southern Indiana, where Gouard was named a two-time Division II Player of the Year, and helped lead the Screaming Eagles to the university’s first Division II national championship in 1995.
He also was named the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player and the CBS/Chevrolet Most Valuable Player during USI’s national championship loss in 1994. Gouard currently ranks third in scoring, fifth in rebounding and first in steals at USI.
Following his collegiate career, Gouard played professionally for the Barrinquilla Ciamanes of Colombia, South America, where he led his team to the 1999 championship. He also played for the Sundsvall Dragons in Sweden.
Prior to coming to UIndy the first time, Gouard was an assistant coach for one season at USI, helping to lead the Screaming Eagles to a 22-8 record.
Gouard was inducted into the John A. Logan College Hall of Fame in 1998, the Great Lakes Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2003 and the USI Hall of Fame in 2007. He also received a key to the city of Evansville, Ind., after graduating from college.
“We are very, very excited to have Stan back as a UIndy Greyhound,” said UIndy President Beverley Pitts. “He exemplifies all the things we value at this institution. He’s a wonderful role model for our student athletes, a great athlete himself and most of all he’s a great winner.”
Gouard officially took the position of head coach and began workouts on April 8.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Gouard said, “but I am ready for the challenge.”
