Steve Cleveland, who grew up in Fresno, coached basketball at Clovis West High School and Fresno City College and then turned a 1-25 Brigham Young University program into a consistent post-season contender, was named head men’s basketball coach at California State University, Fresno today (April 9).
Fresno State interim Athletic Director Dr. Paul Oliaro made the announcement of the new Bulldogs coach in the shadow of the massive Bulldog in the lobby of the Save Mart Center, home of Fresno State men’s and women’s basketball teams.
President John D. Welty called Cleveland “a man who embodies integrity and professionalism in all that he does.”
In addition, said Welty, Cleveland has a proven record of performance and success. He was honored as the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2002-3 and guided BYU to five straight postseason appearances and four 20-win seasons.
Oliaro said Cleveland has 30 years of success as a basketball coach and educator. In addition, he has the dual strengths of experience running a highly successful Division I program and first-hand knowledge of with Central California and Fresno State.
Cleveland, 53, graduated from Hoover High School in Fresno and played basketball at Fresno City College, where he was named Most Outstanding Player in 1973-74. He played at UC Irvine and was the Anteaters’ MVP and leading scorer his senior season in 1975-76.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from UC Irvine in 1976, and received a master’s in education administration from Fresno Pacific University in 1979.
Cleveland said he is happy to be returning to Fresno, where his parents and other family members reside. He also said he believes it is essential to run the basketball program in the “right way.”
“My intent is to run this program with the greatest integrity and honesty,” he said. “I am aware there are challenges here. But I sincerely feel that I am the right man for this time.”
Cleveland said he will stress accountability, discipline and solid performance in both academics and athletics. “We going to graduate our student-athletes,” he said.
At BYU, Cleveland’s basketball teams have had the highest graduation rate in the Mountain West Conference (Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming, BYU) for the past seven years. In 2003-04, the BYU team averaged a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
He acknowledged he will be called upon to rebuild the Fresno State program, but noted he has faced that task before at both the junior college and Division I levels, and has been successful.
While rebuilding a BYU program that finished 1-25 before his arrival, he posted records that rank among of the school’s best years ever in terms of wins.
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, chair of the men’s basketball coach search committee, said the panel developed an excellent pool of candidates and sent three names to President Welty for consideration. The committee, she said, was “enthusiastic” about all three finalists.
Cleveland and his wife, Kip, have three children.
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