May 18, 2005
LAS VEGAS - Greg Grensing has been hired as an assistant coach for the UNLV men's basketball program, head coach Lon Kruger announced Wednesday.
Grensing comes to UNLV after spending 11 seasons on the Creighton men's basketball coaching staff, including last season as the associate head coach.
"I am really pleased that Greg has decided to join our staff," Kruger said. "He and his family will fit perfectly with the other members of our staff. Greg is excellent on the floor with the players as well as having a terrific recruiting network throughout the country."
During his time at Creighton, Grensing worked for head coach Dana Altman, which was a partnership that dated back to 1986-87 when they started three seasons of work as assistant coaches under Kruger at Kansas State.
When Kruger left KSU, Grensing remained in Manhattan, Kan., as a member of Altman's staff and was with him for 15 years at KSU and Creighton.
"I am very excited to be representing a basketball program with the tradition and bright future that UNLV has and to have the chance to work for a man that I admire and respect as much as I do with Coach Kruger," Grensing said. "What I feel I can bring to the table is my experience recruiting nationally as well as my teaching ability. I am looking forward to helping the Rebels get back to the national prominence that their fans and supporters expect. I think the program has no ceiling. I know the other coaches fairly well and it will be an easy transition. My family is very excited about moving to Las Vegas."
In all, Grensing has coached in a total of 11 NCAA Tournaments, six while at Creighton. As the recruiting coordinator at Creighton he brought in talented basketball players as well as talented students. The Bluejays played in the postseason in each of the last eight years (six NCAA Tournaments) and had an Academic All-District selection in seven of the last eight years. Two of his more notable recruits to Creighton are current NBA players Kyle Korver (Philadelphia 76ers) and Rodney Buford (New Jersey Nets).
The 47-year-old native of Council Grove, Kan., graduated from Southwest Texas State University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and began his coaching career with a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.
In 1981, after receiving his master's degree in physical education from Southwest Texas State, Grensing moved on for one season as an assistant at Laredo (Texas) Junior College and then spent two years as an assistant at Idaho State from 1982-84.
Following the 1983-84 season, Grensing joined Kruger's staff at Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. After serving two years at Pan American, Kruger was named head coach at Kansas State and hired Grensing as an assistant for the Wildcats.
Grensing started his playing career at Independence (Kan.) Community College and he transferred to Southwest Texas State where he played for two seasons.
Grensing is married to the former Michelle Thaemert, and the couple has two daughters, Aubrey Marie (10) and Gentry (8). Grensing also has a 32-year-old stepson named Justin Nielson.
