DePaul head coach Bruno named assistant coach to Olympic team

January 24, 2012
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Maggiano’s restaurant in downtown Chicago was overflowing with praise for DePaul women’s basketball head coach Doug Bruno. Friends, family, players and coworkers gathered to celebrate as Bruno was officially named as an assistant coach to the USA women’s basketball team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“This is an exciting time for USA Basketball with the Olympics about six months away. Today we are taking another step forward and bringing our women a step closer to bringing home the gold from London,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball executive director and CEO.

Bruno will serve under USA head coach Geno Auriemma, head coach of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team.

Introduced with Bruno were the other two assistant coaches chosen for the team:

-        Jennifer Gillom, a 2009 women’s basketball hall of fame inductee. Gillom has coached for USA Basketball in the past, won five gold medals–including a 1988 Olympic gold medal – as a player, played in the WNBA, was a Kodak All-American and was named 1985 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. She is currently an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

-        Marynell Meadows, who is a member of four USA Basketball coaching staffs, a seven year WNBA coach and 2009 Coach of the Year and who spent 26 years as a collegiate head coach.

‘Proven Winners’

“All three coaches up here today have significant Olympic basketball experience and are proven winners,” Tooley said. “USA Basketball and the women’s national team are on a great run. We have won the last four consecutive gold medals, and we have a 33-0 winning streak that dates back to the 1992 bronze medal game. No doubt we have terrific players, but the success of our program stems from having excellent coaches involved with us.”

Bruno has more than 25 years of service as DePaul’s head coach, winning more than 500 games. He also served as an assistant coach for the 2010 USA World Championship Team which tallied a 9-0 record, the gold medal and a berth in the 2012 Olympic Games.

“If you’re like me, you grow up watching the Olympics,” Bruno said. “Anyone who loves this country would love the opportunity to coach USA Basketball.”

Bruno thanked the university, DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto, his family, assistant coaches and his players, noting, “The reason I can sit here and have this opportunity is because of all of the players who have played for me at DePaul.”

The three assistant coaches were presented with team jerseys and will begin preparations after the team is named later this year. The Olympic basketball competition will be held July 28 through Aug. 12 in London.

See more photos from the announcement.