Wisconsin basketball hires Greg Stiemsma as director of player development
Wisconsin men's basketball has hired a familiar face to serve as the Director of Player Development.
The University of Wisconsin basketball program is hiring a familiar face to serve as the Badgers' Director of Player Development.
Greg Gard announced that Greg Stiemsma, who played for the Badgers from 2004-08, will be the newest addition to their re-tooled coaching staff.
Following his stint with the Wisconsin Badgers, Stiemsma carved out a professional playing career both in the NBA and overseas. Stiemsma later shifted gears towards player development, taking up roles with NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs.
“We are excited to welcome Greg Stiemsma and his family back to Wisconsin,” Gard said in a press release on July 10. “Having Stiemsma in this position is another step to meet the ever-changing needs of our program and make sure that we stay at the forefront in this new age of college athletics.
“Stiemsma brings multiple years of professional experience in a variety of roles to our staff. He will be a tremendous asset to our team, having worked in-depth with some of the NBA’s best players and coaches centered specifically around player development.
"As a former NBA player himself, he also knows firsthand what it takes as an athlete to reach the pro level and then ultimately succeed. As a player at Wisconsin, Stiemsma competed at a championship level with traits and qualities that we value in our program.”
During his tenure at Wisconsin, Stiemsma appeared in 95 games, starting seven, and was a key part of the Badgers team that clinched both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in 2008. Notably, Stiemsma still ranks 10th in program history with 96 career blocks.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to Wisconsin and have an impact on this program again,” Stiemsma said. “Plenty has changed since my time as a Badger, and I’ve gained a lot of invaluable experience and knowledge of the game over the years as both a professional player and more recently through coaching. I’m excited to get to work this season with Coach Gard, the great staff that he has assembled and this exciting team of players.”
Stiemsma joins a Wisconsin men's basketball coaching staff comprising Greg Gard, associate head coach Joe Krabbenhoft, assistants Sharif Chambliss and Lance Randall, plus Kirk Penney and Director of Recruiting Isaac Wodajo.
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