April 11, 2006
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Iowa Basketball Coach Steve Alford announced today that Brian Jones will become Director of Basketball Operations and that assistant coach Greg Lansing and Rich Walker, director of basketball operations, will not have their contracts extended past the end of the fiscal year.
“We appreciate the hard work and efforts that Rich and Greg have extended on behalf of this program over the past seven years,” said Alford. “With 46 wins in the last two seasons and six straight winning seasons, they have contributed to a lot of the successes we have enjoyed. In my long-term commitment towards the future, I wanted to move Brian to director of operations and felt these moves were necessary for the continued progress of the program.”
Jones joined the Hawkeye staff in 1999 and served for two years as an administrative assistant. He has served as an assistant coach for the past five seasons, with his primary focus being opponent scouting and on-campus recruiting.
“Brian is a very detail-oriented person who has done an outstanding job in his scouting reports and tape breakdowns during the season,” said Alford. “He will continue to oversee our video and scouting reports while taking on additional administrative assignments.”
Jones is a Rock Island, IL native who also was a member of the basketball staff at Southwest Missouri State and Nebraska-Omaha before joining the Iowa staff. He was a four-year letterman at Northern Iowa and played professionally in Australia and Portugal.
Walker has been a member of the Iowa staff for 17 years, serving in his current position the past two years.
Lansing is a native of Harlan who has been an Iowa assistant for seven seasons.
Alford also announced that sophomore guard Carlton Reed and sophomore forward Alex Thompson have asked to be released from their scholarships, and their requests have been granted.
“Coming off a second Big Ten Tournament championship and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, we are excited about the direction of the program,” added Alford. “But, both Alex and Carlton expressed their desire to explore other options. We wish them well and will provide assistance as they search for a better fit.”
The Hawkeyes posted a 25-9 overall record in 2006, posting the second most wins in school history. Iowa placed second in the Big Ten regular season before winning the conference tournament and earning a third NCAA Tournament invite under Alford.