The Cliff Warren Press Conference Photo Gallery

Playing Experience:	Four-year letterman at Mount St. Mary's (1987-91)
	Frederick Flyers, Atlantic Basketball Association (1993-94)
Coaching Experience:	Assistant coach, Mount St. Mary's (1994-97)
	Assistant coach, Siena (1998-2000)
	Assistant coach, Georgia Tech (2001-05)
	Head coach, Jacksonville (2005-present)

When Cliff Warren took over the men's basketball program at Jacksonville University, he took over a program that was looking for a new direction and a return to its place of prominence among the world of college basketball's elite.

As he enters his third season at the helm of the Dolphins, Warren has JU pointed in the right direction after completing the largest turnaround in the country last season.

After winning just one game in his first season, the Dolphins won 15 games in his second year and finished tied for third in the Atlantic Sun Conference - JU's best finish since joining the league for the 1998-99 season.

"Cliff Warren is a winner on and off the basketball court. He sees the value of playing basketball, but he also sees the value of a great education. Cliff is also a community builder whose level of enthusiasm is contagious throughout Jacksonville. Cliff's basketball knowledge, coupled with his tenacious personality, is paying dividends for JU. We are fortunate to have a coach of his caliber, and we're reaping the harvest of his hard work and dedication."" Alan Verlander, JU Director of Athletics

Warren's first year saw the Dolphins experience growing pains as JU suffered through the worst season in school history. Injuries and a two-scholarship APR penalty (from the previous regime) plagued Warren's program, leaving him with only six healthy scholarship players for most of the season.

So Warren and his staff went to work - rebuilding the foundation of the once proud program. His first recruiting class produced Marcus Allen, who finished his first season averaging 11 points per game and led the team in rebounds, earning all-freshman team honors in the A-Sun.

Warren's second recruiting class came up with several gems, most notably Ben Smith and Lehmon Colbert - who earned all-freshman team honors from the league as well. His hard work on the recruiting trail paid off handsomely as JU improved by 14 wins and earned Warren conference "Coach of the Year" honors from Collegeinsider.com as well as being named a finalist for the Hugh Durham "Mid-Major Coach of the Year" and the Jim Phelan "National Coach of the Year."

One of the top recruiters in the country, Warren has transformed the JU program into an athletic and talented team that will challenge for the title in the near future.

While having talent on the court is one thing, you also need a strong support group as well. Warren has done a great deal of work in getting the basketball alumni involved in the program again - including JU all-time greats Artis Gilmore, ESPN basketball analyst Dee Brown, Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith and former head coaches Joe Williams and Bob Wenzel.

"This program has a longstanding tradition of excellence and it is my responsibility to carry that tradition," Warren said. "The former players have come back and taken an interest in the program, talking to the guys, attending games and showing their support. That means a lot to our players when the guys whose jerseys are on the wall are supporting them in their efforts, not just as basketball players, but as people too."

While this is Warren's first head coaching opportunity, it isn't his first stop where he's had to reclaim a program. In 11 seasons as an assistant coach, Warren helped turn around the fortunes at his alma mater, Mount St. Mary's, Siena and Georgia Tech - eventually helping lead the Yellow Jackets to the national title game in 2004.

During his career as an assistant coach, Warren's teams have been to the postseason eight times, with five NCAA Tournaments bids and three NIT appearances.

"Cliff Warren is a winner on and off the basketball court," said JU director of athletics Alan Verlander. "He sees the value of playing basketball, but he also sees the value of a great education. Cliff is also a community builder whose level of enthusiasm is contagious throughout Jacksonville.

"Cliff's basketball knowledge, coupled with his tenacious personality, is paying dividends for JU. We are fortunate to have a coach of his caliber, and we're reaping the harvest of his hard work and dedication."

Warren's arrival on campus has transformed the program, providing the dynamic to bring JU Basketball back to the forefront in the community.

With Warren at the helm, and the backing of the administration - including President Dr. Kerry Romesburg and Verlander - the Dolphins returned to the Downtown area for the first time since 1999, playing home games at the state-of-the-art Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

The first season in the Arena was a success as JU went 10-1 in its new home venue and averaged more than 2,000 fans for each game Downtown.

"This is an exciting time, not only for our men's basketball program, but for our entire university," Romesburg said. "Cliff's winning attitude and youthful energy have helped spark a new era in JU Dolphin basketball. Looking at the student-athletes he has recruited to the University, the program is headed in the right direction."

Warren spent five seasons as an assistant to Paul Hewitt at Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets to 96 wins and four postseason appearances (3 NCAA; 1 NIT). Tech was 20-12 his last season and made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2004, Warren helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 28-10 record and the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA National Championship Game, where Tech lost to Connecticut. The Yellow Jackets also went to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 following a 17-13 campaign and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2002.

Warren was nationally recognized for his recruiting abilities as he was named among the top 50 recruiters in the country by Rivals.com.

Prior to joining the Tech staff, the 38-year-old Warren spent three years (1998-2000) as an assistant at Siena College under Hewitt, where he helped lead the Saints to a 66-27 record, two postseason berths and three straight appearances in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament finals.

In 1999, Siena won the MAAC Tournament title and made its first NCAA Tournament visit in 10 years, while ranking third in the nation in scoring with 86.6 points per game.

The Saints followed that by winning the 2000 MAAC regular-season championship and advancing to the second round of the NIT, while once again finishing as the third-highest scoring team in the country (86.7 ppg). Warren's work at Siena was recognized by Eastern Basketball magazine, naming him one of the top recruiters at a mid-major program.

The Silver Spring, Md., native started his career as an assistant at his alma mater, Mount St. Mary's, under the legendary Jim Phelan. In 1995, Warren helped lead the Mountaineers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament.

He followed that with an NIT appearance in 1996 after Mount St. Mary's won the Northeast Conference Regular Season Championship.

Warren was a two-year starter for the Mountaineers, where he finished his career ranked in the top five in assists and top 50 in scoring in the school record book. As a senior in 1989-90, he averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 assists per game, while leading The Mount to its first winning season in Division I (16-12). Warren earned his bachelor of science in business finance from Mount St. Mary's in 1990 and then worked as a graduate assistant coach and earned a master of business administration in 1993.

Before returning to Mount St. Mary's as an assistant coach in 1994, Warren played professionally for the Frederick Flyers of the Atlantic Basketball Association. Midway through the season, he was named assistant coach. He worked as an intern for the NBA's Washington Wizards in 1993-94.

Warren is married to the former Jennifer Love and the couple resides in Jacksonville.

Warren's Head Coaching Record

Year	School	Record	Postseason
2005-06	Jacksonville	1-26	None
2006-07	Jacksonville	15-14	A-Sun Quarterfinals
Two seasons		16-40	0-1

Warren as an Assistant Coach