Aug. 21, 2008

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Villanova associate head coach Brett Gunning is departing the university to accept the position of director of player development with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association, it was announced today. Gunning had served alongside Wildcat head coach Jay Wright for the last 14 years at Hofstra and Villanova. He was the last remaining member of Wright's original 2001 Villanova staff.

"Brett has been an integral part of our Villanova basketball family over the last seven years and an important part of our success," stated Wright. "He is one of the game's bright young coaches and made a great impact on our program. We will miss him but it's always exciting when a member of our staff has the chance to pursue their dream and this opportunity in Houston allows Brett to do that. He'll always be a Wildcat to us, though."

Gunning, 36, is a native of Broomall, Pa., who began his association with the basketball program as an undergraduate at Villanova in 1990. He served as a student assistant to coach Rollie Massimino for two seasons before transferring to UNLV where he completed his degree in 1994. When Wright, Massimino's assistant at both Villanova and UNLV, was named head coach at Hofstra in 1994, he hired Gunning as an assistant coach.

At Hofstra, Gunning was part of a staff that built the Pride into an America East powerhouse that posted a 72-22 (.766) record from 1998-2001. On March 28, 2001 he was introduced as part of the new Villanova staff at Wright's opening press conference. Since that point he has played a vital role in recruiting and developing a unit that has secured four straight NCAA Tournament berths and made three appearances in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He was named associate head coach in 2005.

"I am blessed to have been a part of the Villanova family since Coach Mass first took me under his wing years ago," states Gunning. "Villanova is a special place to me and my family and it will always be a part of me. I have learned an unbelievable amount from Coach Wright, not just about basketball, but more importantly about life. I have also learned so much from many of the players and coaches who have come through the program.

"It's always been a dream of mine to coach in the NBA and this was an exciting opportunity that I couldn't pass up. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Villanova but I will always be grateful for the time spent here and the many great people I got to know."