Former Arizona Wildcat Jason Gardner having coaching success at IUPUI

Former Arizona Wildcat Jason Gardner is now in his fifth year as head coach at IUPUI and is having a successful year so far.

One of the great point guards to have played at Arizona, Jason Gardner, is now in his fifth year as head coach for IUPUI. While the first four years have been a struggle, in year five, he is finally finding some success.

Having played under one of the great college basketball coaches, Lute Olson, Gardner is beginning to apply those winnings ways at IUPUI.

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As it stands, his team is currently at 14-9 overall and 6-4 in the Horizon Conference. They are also just coming off a win against the No.1 team in the conference in Northern Kentucky, winning 83-77.

The Jaguars are now winners of three-straight games and are looking to continue that streak. Junior guard Camron Justice leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game, and dropped 26 against Northern Kentucky, which included knocking down 5-7 from three point range.

In his first four seasons as head coach, Gardner had a below .500 winning average, winning just 48 games and losing 77 – that’s simply not good. Finally, he’s getting things turned around.

With the way his team is playing of recent, it wouldn’t surprise me if they had a legit chance of making the Big Dance. And it’s certainly great to see Gardner having success at the coaching level too!

At Arizona, there was no doubting his impact. Over the course of four years, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He was even part of the 2000-2001 team that went all the way to the championship game before losing to Duke.

Following an illustrious collegiate career, the school decided to retire his jersey in 2005 inside McKale Center. Now that is quite an honor considering the few players that have had their jersey retired.

Although Garnder did not get drafted in the NBA, he did end up playing overseas and found success playing in the German Bundesliga :eague. He was an All-Star and was also named as the MVP during the 2008-2009 season. Before taking the head coaching job at IUPUI, Garnder was an assistant coach for one year under another former Wildcat, Josh Pastner, at Memphis.

Being a native of Indianapolis, it was a perfect fit for him joining IUPUI. Whenever you can bring on someone who knows the culture of the city and what fans are looking for, plus having a successful collegaite and professional career, what more can you ask for!

At Zona Zealots, we are extremely proud of Garner’s success as a coach and look forward to continue to follow his career. Bear Down, Arizona!