 Toledo head coach Gene Cross (left) with athletic director Mike O'Brien
"We are very pleased that Gene Cross has agreed to join our family at the University of Toledo as the head men's basketball coach," said O'Brien. "Gene has all the characteristics we are looking for in a head coach. He is a bright, hard-working young man with a great love for the game of basketball. He has been associated with programs that have been consistently outstanding on the basketball court, and also have a strong emphasis on academics and personal integrity. I think Gene is a perfect fit to lead our men's basketball program."
Cross has been an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame under head coach Mike Brey for the past two years. In both seasons the Fighting Irish qualified for the NCAA Tournament, going 25-8 this past year and 24-8 in 2006-07. Brey was named Big East Coach of the Year in both seasons. Cross, a native of Chicago who played his college basketball at Illinois, also has been an assistant at Virginia, DePaul and Illinois-Chicago.
"I'm thrilled to become the next head coach at the University of Toledo," said Cross, who becomes the 17th head coach in UT history, replacing Stan Joplin who was released from his position as head coach last month after 12 years on the job. "I'm excited about joining the tradition of Toledo basketball. I look forward to building on that tradition and taking the program to the next step."
Regarded as a tireless and innovative recruiter, Cross has received national recognition for his impressive history of recruiting success. He was named one of the top 25 recruiters in college basketball by Rivals.com in 2005 and named to the list of "Ten Assistants Ready For the Next Step" by CBSsportsline.com in 2007. The 2003 class recruited while he was at DePaul was ranked in the top 25 in the country by CSTV.com, while the 2000 class at UIC was ranked No. 1 in the Horizon League by Hoop Scoop.
Cross helped guide Notre Dame to a 25-8 campaign and 14-4 record in Big East play this past season, the third-most wins in school history. The Fighting Irish advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Washington State, 61-41. In 2006-07, Notre Dame went 24-8, 11-5 in the Big East, earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, its first tourney since 2003.
Cross joined the Notre Dame program after spending the 2005-06 campaign at Virginia, helping the Cavaliers to a 15-15 overall record and a fifth-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia received a berth into the National Invitation Tournament, and Cavaliers' head coach Dave Leitao was named ACC Coach of the Year.
Cross joined the Virginia staff after spending three seasons (2002-05) at DePaul under Leitao where he helped lead the Blue Demons to a 58-34 record and three postseason appearances.
In 2002-03, the first season Leitao and Cross coached at DePaul, the Blue Demons posted a 16-13 overall record after finishing the previous season with 9-19 mark. In 2003-04, DePaul reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1989 after winning a share of the program's first-ever Conference USA regular-season title, finishing with a 12-4 mark, the most league wins in school history. DePaul defeated Dayton, 76-69, in double overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, before dropping a 72-55 decision to eventual national champion Connecticut in the second round. In 2004-05, the Blue Demons posted a 20-11 record and returned to the NIT, falling in its second game of the tournament to Texas A&M after defeating Missouri 75-70 in first-round action.
Prior to his stint at DePaul, Cross spent six seasons (1996-2002) at Illinois-Chicago where he helped the Flames to two conference championships (1998 and 2002) and two NCAA Tournament berths, the first two in the program's history.
In his final season (2001-02) at UIC, the Flames finished with a 20-14 record and claimed the Horizon League tournament title. With the win, UIC earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma in the first round. The 1997-98 squad tied a school record with 22 wins and captured the Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular-season crown. During the regular season, the Flames had victories over conference champions Michigan State (Big Ten), Illinois State (Missouri Valley) and Valparaiso (Mid-Continent), helping them earn an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
Cross began his coaching career at Marion-Franklin High School in Columbus, OH, where he coached the freshman boys' team and served as assistant varsity boys' coach during the 1995-96 school year.
A native of Chicago, IL, Cross played his prep basketball at Rich Central High School in Chicago under head coach Ron Brauer. He played four seasons at the University of Illinois from 1990-94. He lettered in his junior and senior seasons, helping the Illini to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Illinois in ‘94 and received a master's degree in sport management at Ohio State in ‘96. While at Ohio State, he served as a graduate administrative associate in the Department of Recreational Sports.
Cross has served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Assistant Coaches Board since 2003, and has also served on the NABC Division I Congress. In addition, he also serves as a member of the NABC Special Committee on Recruiting and Access. Cross also is a member of the Black Coaches Association.
courtesy Toledo Athletic Media Relations
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