TORONTO-MEMPHIS – Josh Pastner’s progression from player, administrator, recruiter, assistant coach to current Memphis Tigers basketball head coach is remarkable, given he’s only 32. As the third youngest coach in NCAA Division I, his basketball resume bodes well for long-term Tigers success.

Pastner, who was born in West Virginia, raised in Houston and grew up playing football and soccer, said,  “The camaraderie, discipline and adrenaline of being on a basketball team was special for me compared to other sports.”

He started coaching AAU youth basketball in Houston when he was 16, taking over from his father who founded the team. “Being head coach at that age was a great experience,” he said. “I was responsible for substitutions, strategy, recruiting, travel and managing player egos.”

Despite being First Team All-District during his senior year at Kingwood High School, no offers came from colleges or universities.

“I sent personal handwritten letters to about 1,000 NCAA Division I, II, III and AA schools,” Pastner said. The only school responding was Arizona State, which offered him a scholarship. He made the Wildcats as a walk on guard as they won the 1996-97 NCAA Division I national title.

“We were fifth in the PAC-10 that season and are still the only team to beat three number one seeds – Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky – in the Tournament,” Pastner said.

He earned Academic All-PAC-10 Second Team honours as a Senior in 2000.

“I earned my BA in family studies in two and a half years and my Masters in teaching and teaching education in three and a half years.”

Pastner helped break down game tapes and opponent scouting reports while playing and after graduation. He became an assistant coach from 2002-2008 during which the Wildcats reached two NCAA Regional Finals and NCAA Tournament spots each season.

“Wildcats head coach Lute Olson is headed for the Basketball Hall of Fame,” Pastner said. “He was a master teacher…and ran one of the best team practices I’ve experienced.”

Pastner’s recruiting and coaching acumen has resulted in more than 20 NBA draft picks over the years, including Stephen Jackson (Charlotte), Luke Walton (LA Lakers), Jason Terry (Dallas) and Richard Jefferson (San Antonio).

“Channing Frye (Phoenix) and Jordan Hill (NY Knicks) were not exceptional in college and both turned into NBA draft lottery picks.”

Pastner joined Memphis as an assistant coach in 2008 “to get out of my comfort zone in Arizona and expand my basketball horizon. I also wanted the opportunity working with a top head coach like John Calipari. We shared the philosophy of solid defence and letting players play to their strengths.”

The 2008/09 Tigers went 33-4, won 27 straight games and reached the ‘Sweet 16’ round of the NCAA Tournament. “Guard Tyreke Evans had an excellent season and is playing very well in Sacramento.”

Pastner always wanted to be a head coach but the opportunity came sooner than expected. Calipari resigned shortly after the NCAA Tourney to coach Kentucky. Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson offered Pastner the Tigers head coaching job and he signed for five years.

“I know I was taking on a lot of responsibility with every decision resting on my shoulders. I want to get the best players and put them in the best situation to succeed. I love every moment, and do no take anything for granted.” He added that Calipari, “is a future hall of famer who told me to recruit well, work hard and stay the course.”

Pastner tells his players to “take care of offensive and defensive assignments. My responsibility is to give our team a chance to win and I prefer an ugly win versus a pretty loss.”

The Tigers’ all-time NCAA record consecutive conference regular season and tourney win streak ended at 64 on Jan. 20, when they lost to UTEP.

“The credit goes to all the players who were part of that streak and Coach Calipari who was the architect.”

At press time the Tigers were 15-5 (5-1 in C-USA).

“We play in a tough conference and I’m very proud of these young men, who fight for every possession and leave nothing on the floor. I make them focus minute by minute, point by point, possession by possession and taking care of defence and rebounds.”

Pastner has no long-term expectations “beyond winning our next game. Life has many unexpected turns and curves and one never knows when a door opens.”

Jack Borenstein can be emailed at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it