The University of Indianapolis is welcoming back Stan Gouard as its new head men’s basketball coach. A former University of Southern Indiana standout, Gouard was named the new UIndy coach April 3, 2008 after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Indiana State University. He served in that capacity for the Greyhounds from 2002-05.
University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who was Gouard’s coach at University of Southern Indiana, called him “one of the greatest players and student athletes I’ve ever coached.”
Gouard (pronounced jerr-ARD) becomes the 12th head coach in UIndy history when he takes the reigns of the program April 8. He succeeds Royce Waltman, who served as interim head coach for the 2007-08 season following the resignation of Todd Sturgeon on Oct. 1.
“It’s truly an honor to return back to the University of Indianapolis as the head coach,” Gouard said. “UIndy has always had a special place in my heart. There are two things that I am passionate about and those are my family and the game of basketball. I want the players to feel the same way and take nothing or no one for granted. I am excited about this opportunity and hope the players are as excited as I am because there is work to be done.”
Gouard said he’s also excited to be back in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, which he termed “the best DII conference in the country.”
A native of Danville, Ill., Gouard has his roots in the Great Lakes conference. He was a two-time Division II Player of the Year, helping Southern Indiana to its first national championship in 1995. He later coached at his alma mater before coming to UIndy during one of the school’s most successful runs in its history.
From 2002-05, the Greyhounds compiled a 47-31 record, advancing to the NCAA tournament all three seasons. Gouard helped mentor All-GLVC players Jason Wright, Lawrence Barnes and three-time honoree David Logan. Logan would become the league’s all-time leading scorer en route to earning NCAA Division II Player of the Year accolades.
“We eagerly welcome Stan Gouard back to our campus,” said Director of Athletics Sue Willey. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and an enthusiasm that will reinvigorate our program.”
At Indiana State, Gouard has mentored the Sycamore post players, including Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman and All-Bench Team selection Isiah Martin, who broke the single-season blocks record at ISU by a freshman and led the entire conference in blocked shots.
At UIndy under Sturgeon, Gouard was responsible for recruiting, practice and game coaching, player development, academic monitoring and day-to-day operations. The Greyhounds advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of Gouard’s three seasons. During the 2004-05 season, the Greyhounds posted three victories over top-20 opponents and were ranked No. 7 nationally. Prior to his stint with Indianapolis, Gouard spent one season at his alma mater, Southern Indiana, helping the Screaming Eagles to a 22-8 record.
As a player, Gouard was nationally known. He led University of Southern Indiana to its first national championship in 1995 under head coach Pearl. Gouard also led the Eagles to two Great Lakes Valley championships, and was twice named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches the Division II National Player of the Year. He also was recognized as the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player and the CBS/Chevrolet MVP of the title game in 1994. While at Southern Indiana, Gouard’s teams compiled an 82-12 record, and he currently ranks third in scoring, fifth in rebounding and first in steals.
Gouard was inducted into the John A. Logan College Hall of Fame in 1998, the Great Lakes Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2003 and the University of Southern Indiana Hall of Fame in 2007. He also received the key to the city of Evansville, Ind., in 1996. Following his stellar collegiate career, Gouard played professionally for the Barrinquilla Ciamanes of Columbia, South America, leading his team to the 1999 championship. Gouard also led his Sundsvall Dragon team in Sweden to the playoffs.
He joins another University of Southern Indiana standout at the helm of a UIndy team. LeAnn Freeland, UIndy’s women’s basketball head coach, played at USI at the same time as Gouard and also is a member of both the GLVC and USI Halls of Fame.
Gouard earned his bachelor of science in communications from Southern Indiana in 2000. He moves to Indianapolis with his wife, Chasity.
