Russ Pennell - Men's Basketball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Russ Pennell

Title:
Head Coach

Year	School	Record
2009-10	GCU	16-16 (10-6)
2010-11	GCU	14-12 (9-7)
2011-12	GCU	19-8 (13-5)
2012-13	GCU	23-8 (14-4)
Career	(4 seasons)	72-44 (46-22)

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Russ Pennell spent four seasons as Grand Canyon University’s head men’s basketball coach, helping lead the Lopes to Division II prominence in their final four seasons at the level.

Pennell finished with a 72-44 overall record at GCU and guided the Lopes to postseason play in 2011-12 and 2012-13 after posting 19-8 and 23-8 records, respectively. Pennell led the team to a 14-12 record in 2010-11, the first winning campaign at the school since 2006-07.

Less than one month after leading the University of Arizona – as its interim head coach – to the Sweet 16 of the 2009 NCAA Division I Basketball Championships, Pennell was named GCU’s 12th men’s basketball coach, April 9, 2009.

Pennell took over as Arizona’s interim head coach after legendary U of A coach Lute Olson announced his retirement on Oct. 24, 2008. He had been hired in May of 2008 to be a Wildcat assistant coach. Along with leading U of A to the national tournament, Pennell’s team went 21-14 overall.

From 1998-2004, Pennell was an assistant coach at Arizona State University under Rob Evans. The Sun Devils went 108-103 during that time with one NCAA bid (2003) and three trips to the National Invitational Tournament.

Pennell was on Evans’ staff at the University of Mississippi for six seasons from 1992-98. In that span, Ole Miss went 86-81, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1997 and 1998. The Rebels won the Southeastern Conference West Division titles in each of those seasons combining to go 42-16 and climbing to No. 10 in the nation. It was the first time Mississippi had posted consecutive 20-win seasons in 60 years.

He began his coaching career at Oklahoma State University from 1990-92. In those two seasons, the Cowboys went 52-16 under head coach Eddie Sutton. During the 1990-91 season, the Cowboys shared the Big Eight Conference championship with a 24-8 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The following year, OSU posted a 28-8 mark, and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in both of Pennell's seasons in Stillwater.

Pennell also coached with Evans in the summer of 2001 on the USA Basketball preliminary staff, assisting in the selection of the Junior World Championship team.

He provided color commentary for the Arizona State University radio network during the 2007-08 season. He also ran the Arizona Premier Basketball Academy, offering instruction to high school and youth players in the Phoenix area.

Pennell played collegiately at Arkansas under Eddie Sutton in 1979-80. The Razorbacks finished second in the Southwest Conference that year. Pennell transferred to Central Arkansas in 1981, and was a two-year starter at point guard. As a senior, he led the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference with 8.2 assists per game. He was a teammate of former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen in 1983-84.

Pennell earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Pittsburg State University in 1989. He received his Master’s in Physical Education from PSU in 1990.

Before joining the coaching profession, Pennell played for the Spirit Express, a traveling exhibition team based out of Memphis, Tennessee, from 1984-88.

A native of Pittsburg, Kansas, Pennell is a 1979 graduate of Pittsburg High School, where he played for his father, Dewey, and was an all-state selection. As a senior, he helped his school maintain the No. 2 ranking in the state throughout the season.