Boyle Named Head Men's
Basketball Coach at Northern Colorado
April 25, 2006
GREELEY, Colo. - Wichita State University associate head men's basketball coach Tad Boyle was named the 17th coach in University of Northern Colorado men's basketball history, as announced by Director of Athletics Jay S. Hinrichs on Tuesday.
"I am humbled and honored to be the next head basketball coach at the University of Northern Colorado," said Boyle. "This is going to be both a tremendous challenge and opportunity for me where I am at in my career right now. I have been preparing myself for the last 17 years for this opportunity. I really appreciate Jay Hinrichs and President Kay Norton for believing in me and giving me this chance."
"All of us at the University of Northern Colorado are excited to have a coach of such experience and talent as Coach Boyle, join our staff," said Hinrichs. "We are confident that Coach Boyle will make an immediate impact on our men's basketball program and in the community. I want to personally welcome Coach Boyle and Ann back home to Greeley."
A Greeley native, Boyle spent the past six seasons at Wichita State on the staff of longtime friend Mark Turgeon. This past season the Shockers were 22-9 overall, were 14-4 in league action and claimed the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship. The program advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 by knocking off Seton Hall and Tennessee, marking the school's first regional semifinal since 1981, and finished the campaign ranked 21st nationally.
Boyle was a standout performer at Greeley Central High School, leading the Wildcats to a state championship as a senior in 1981, on his way Colorado Player of the Year honors as well as being selected to the Converse All-American team. Greeley Central retired his high school number following his senior season.
Boyle played college basketball at the University of Kansas (1981-85), where he was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams and was a part of the 1984 Big Eight Tournament championship squad. He captained the 1985 squad for legendary coach Larry Brown and earned the team's "Most Unselfish Player" award. As a sophomore, he was named KU's "Most Inspirational Player."
It was at Kansas that Boyle played alongside Turgeon, who he also coached with at Oregon under Jerry Green. Boyle's first collegiate coaching job was on Green's staff in 1994. He spent three seasons with the Ducks, helping coach a 1995 NCAA Tournament team and a 1997 NIT squad.
Boyle followed Green to Knoxville, Tenn. in 1997 where he was the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Tennessee. The following year he once again joined Turgeon, this time as an assistant coach at Jacksonville State in Alabama. The duo helped turn a team that was 8-18 into a 17-11 squad the following year.
After serving as the top assistant for two years at Jacksonville State, Boyle moved onto Wichita State in March 2000. The Shockers improved their win total four consecutive years from 2002-2005, marking the first time in school history that had occurred. Wichita State appeared in the NIT in each 2003, 2004 and 2005 before making the NCAA Tournament in 2006.
Boyle earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Kansas in 1985. Following his collegiate playing career, he served as a high school coach for six seasons in his native Colorado. He served as the sophomore basketball coach at Greeley Central for a year and was an assistant at Loveland High School for two years. He followed that up as head coach at Longmont High School for three years before taking the job at Oregon.
Boyle, 43, is married to the former Ann Schell of Greeley. They have two sons, Jack Thomas and Pete, and a daughter, Claire.
A formal opportunity for the public and media to meet Coach Boyle as well as new women's head basketball coach Jamie White will be held on Friday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. in the Butler-Hancock Athletic Center.