An eclectic mix of basketball veterans with various ties to the Pine Tree State comprise the assistant coaching staff announced Friday by new University of Maine men’s basketball coach Richard Barron.
That staff, including former Black Bears’ star guard Kevin Reed and Edniesha Curry, a former UMaine women’s basketball assistant who becomes the only current woman serving as a full-time assistant coach in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball ranks, will be introduced formally during a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday in the Alfond Family Lounge on the Orono campus.
Also hired was Lee Academy postgraduate basketball coach Igor Vrzina, while Orono High School boys basketball coach Jason Coleman has been named the Black Bears’ director of basketball operations.
“In choosing a staff, I felt it was very important to hire people who love Maine, our university and our community,” said Barron in a news release. “I wanted people who understand our challenges and the opportunities that we have here to build a successful program. I also wanted people who would be comfortable working for me and could relate well to our student-athletes.
“And finally, I looked for coaches who bring strong recruiting connections and a track record of player development. I am very proud of the staff we have assembled and look forward to working together to build upon the hard work of those that have come before us.”
Reed, most recently athletic administrator and boys basketball coach at Bangor Christian School, graduated from UMaine in 2007 after a stellar playing career for the Black Bears. He ranks fourth in school history with 1,601 career points, eighth in career rebounds (732) and third in steals (225) while playing in a school-record 119 games.
“Kevin Reed is an excellent coach but an even better person,” said Barron. “Everyone loved Kevin as a player here at Maine, and since his return to Bangor eight years ago he has ingratiated himself again in our community. Kevin and his family have become fixtures on the basketball scene in Maine and he will be a tremendous role model for our players.
“His ability to do skill work with our guards, scout opponents, his international and prep-school connections, his experience as an athletic administrator and experience here as a player will all serve our program and our players well.”
Curry returns to UMaine after previously coaching under Barron with the Black Bears’ women’s basketball program from July 2015 to May 2017.
Since then she has worked with the NBA Assistant Coaches Program, including duties at the NBA Draft Combine and the NBA G League Showcase involving player development and scouting responsibilities. She also has been a women’s athletic program manager at Atlanta Classical Academy.
A 2002 University of Oregon graduate, Curry was drafted by the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting and played in the WNBA and overseas from 2002 to 2009.
“Eddie was an easy choice as an assistant coach,” said Barron. “She is extremely talented at developing players — especially within the context of defensive and offensive systems. Eddie teaches skills that can be utilized with frequency in a game. Eddie is also great at scouting opponents as well as ‘self-scouts’ — breaking down video to find areas of improvement.
“She knows Maine, knows many of our players, and knows me and my style of play. She has great connections around the world from her extensive playing and coaching background.”
Vrzina guided the Lee Academy postgraduates to a 98-51 records during four years as head coach and at UMaine will reunite with former Pandas Ilija Stojiljkovic, Dusan Majstorovic, Miks Antoms and Lewis Wang
Vrzina captained the men’s basketball team at Abilene Christian University, from where he graduated in 2007. He was an assistant coach for BC Grifoni in Ukraine and an administrative assistant for the Illinois State University men’s basketball team before coming to Maine.
“Igor has tremendous recruiting ties throughout New England from his prep school experience, as well as internationally,” Barron said. “Igor will work primarily with our posts while assisting with scouting and game planning. He has a great feel for our program and will articulate well the opportunities UMaine offers.”
Coleman has coached basketball and football at the collegiate, high school, AAU and middle-school levels since 2005.
Coleman guided the Orono High boys basketball team to three regional championship games in seven seasons and led AAU teams from Maine to three state championships after also coaching teams in Indiana and South Carolina to multiple state titles.
Among his duties, Coleman will coordinate on-campus recruiting efforts and direct the team’s summer camps.
“Jason has been coaching basketball since he was 18 years old. He, too, loves Maine, loves the great tradition of basketball in our state and knows many of the coaches and players,” said Barron.
