Greg Clink
Head Men's Basketball Coach
Phone: 530-898-5160
Email:
gclink@csuchico.edu
Greg Clink is in his third year as head coach of the Chico State men’s basketball program. The former Wildcats player and assistant coach led Chico State to a 16-13 record in 2009-10, doubling the team’s win output from the year before and delivering the program’s first winning season since 2005-06. The ’Cats concluded the campaign by notching their first-ever win in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament before bowing by three points to Cal Poly Pomona in the semifinals. With several returning players and a solid crop of recruits on board, Clink and the Wildcats look to rise to even greater heights in the 2010-11 season.
Last season’s success is the latest step in returning Chico State men’s basketball to the glory years of the early 1990’s. In his first year at the helm, Clink employed a gritty, fast-paced style of play and guided the ’Cats to an 8-19 record in 2008-09 – the most wins posted by a Wildcat squad in three years. Chico State was much more competitive than its record indicated – the Wildcats took their opponents to overtime four times in 08-09 and lost five games by four points or less.
Clink has quickly turned the Wildcat program around due in large part to tireless recruiting, and has had particular success mining some gems from Northern California schools. Since taking the reigns following the 2007-08 season, Clink and his staff have signed 16 players from the North State, including six from the San Francisco Bay area.
The 11th head coach in the 95-year history of Chico State men’s basketball, Clink was no stranger to the Wildcats program when he replaced 21-year coaching legend Puck Smith. Playing under Smith, Clink was part of Chico State’s last three conference title teams from 1992-94, earning a trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional in 1992-93 and the team’s Most Inspirational Player award following his senior year. Clink remained with the Chico State program as an assistant coach under Smith during the 1994-95 and 95-96 seasons.
Clink joined the UC Davis coaching staff in 1996-97 as an assistant to Bob Williams. The Aggies finished 20-9 that year, winning the Northern California Athletic Conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II West Regional. After serving the 1997-98 season as head coach at Gavilan Community College (where he played his first two years of college ball), Clink rejoined Williams’ staff when the former Aggie coach was named head coach at UC Santa Barbara. UCSB finished 15-13 in 1998-99, winning the Big West Conference's West Division championship, and went 14-14 in 1999-2000, finishing second in the division.
Clink began his second stint as an assistant coach at UC Davis in 2000, helping lead the Aggies through the challenging transition from Division II to Division I through his primary duties of recruiting, scouting, and player development. He remained part of the UC Davis coaching staff (becoming the Aggies’ associate head coach in 2006) until he was hired to take over the Chico State men’s basketball program in April, 2008.
A 1994 graduate of Chico State, Clink has a bachelor's degree in physical education. He also completed his master’s degree in physical education at Chico State in 2000.
Clink and his wife, Courtney, were married in the summer of 2002. The couple has three sons: twins Justin and Tyler, and younger brother, Ryan.
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