Oct. 1, 2007

Saint Louis head men's basketball coach Rick Majerus announced today that Paul Biancardi has been named assistant coach. He returns to the collegiate coaching scene after working one year for the ESPN family. Biancardi has worked for ESPN Inc., as recruiting director for ESPN.com, college basketball color analyst on ESPN 360 and ESPNU high school recruiting analyst.

"Paul is an assistant coach who has had success at an elite level such as Boston College and Ohio State. As the top assistant of those programs, he was instrumental in winning championships," Majerus said. "His passion for the game and his ability to teach it are evident to everyone who has watched him recruit a student-athlete or conduct a practice. Paul was the architect of Wright State's 2006-07 Horizon League championship team. He coached and recruited the key players on that team and was largely responsible for their success. There is no doubt that Paul will be a very successful head coach again in the near future. I look forward to having him on our staff because of his dedication to the academic agenda and graduation rate of which Saint Louis University is so proud."

"It is certainly a privilege to be working with a future Hall of Famer like coach Rick Majerus," Biancardi said. "I am eager to join him and the dynamic staff at Saint Louis. Coach Majerus and I have the same vision and that is to excel both academically and athletically. It is an honor to work for a university that has the same strong core values that I strive for in my life."

Biancardi, a Boston native, was the head coach at Wright State from 2003-04 through the 2005-06 season. During his three-year tenure, he led WSU to a 26-22 mark in league play, 42-44 overall. Biancardi was voted the 2004 Horizon League Coach of the Year, the first for Wright State, when he led the Raiders to 10 conference wins, the second most in school history. During his three years at WSU, the team was at .500 or better in league play for the first time since 1991-92 through 1993-94. In addition, Biancardi recruited and coached DaShaun Wood, who was the 2007 Horizon League Player of the Year. His tenure at Wright State ended by mutual agreement with the University after the NCAA issued sanctions against Biancardi over NCAA violations that had occurred while he was at Ohio State.

Prior to Wright State, Biancardi was an assistant coach at Ohio State for six years. During his time with the Buckeyes, he helped OSU to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the 1999 Final Four. Biancardi helped the Buckeyes win Big Ten co-Championships in 2000 and again in 2002 along with winning the Big Ten Tournament. Hoop Scoop Online named Biancardi the No. 1 assistant coach in the country in 2002, while Sports Magazine and Lindy's College Basketball Magazine both named him one of the top five assistants in the country. In his final year at OSU, Biancardi was named associate head coach.

He also served seven seasons as an assistant coach at Boston College. The Eagles qualified for postseason play on five occasions and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles reached the Elite Eight in 1994 highlighted by wins over defending national champion and No. 1 North Carolina and Indiana. Boston College also claimed the Big East Championship in 1997. BC had three recruiting classes ranked in the top 20, including the No. 5 class in 1993. During his tenure at Boston College, Biancardi implemented the "Skills for Life" program that is a practical teaching program to prepare young men for life after college.

During the 1989-90 season, Biancardi was an assistant coach at Boston University and helped the Terriers win the North Atlantic Conference title and an NCAA Tournament bid. He has also served as an assistant at Suffolk University and Salem State College. Biancardi is a 1985 graduate of Salem State and earned a degree in physical education. He played four years and was voted team captain as a senior. As a senior, he was selected for the "James Twohig Award" for outstanding character, sportsmanship and dedication. Biancardi was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Pope John XXIII High School. Recently, he traveled to Ireland with Athletes in Action to conduct a basketball clinic for the Irish Basketball Federation.

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