Gary Stewart Named UC Merced Head Men's Basketball Coach

Gary Stewart, with 385 career wins across NCAA basketball levels, has been appointed as the head men's basketball coach at the University of California, Merced, as announced by Executive Director of Recreation & Athletics David Dunham. Dunham expressed excitement about Stewart's extensive experience and success, particularly noting his value in leading teams through NCAA reclassification. Stewart described the opportunity to guide UC Merced into NCAA Division II as an honor and thanked university officials, emphasizing his eagerness to continue the winning tradition.

Stewart joins UC Merced after a successful tenure at Stevenson University, where he quickly elevated the program to achieve back-to-back postseason trophies and 20+ win seasons in his third and fourth years, marking the best two-year record in school history during 2013-14 and 2014-15. He was named the 2014 Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Coach of the Year and became the program's all-time winningest coach, finishing with 155 wins on the East Coast. During his time there, he coached two MAC Commonwealth Rookies of the Year, 11 all-league selections, and eight honorable mentions.

Throughout his career, Stewart has held head coaching positions at UC Davis, Cal State East Bay, and University of La Verne, leading every program to conference tournaments and winning seven conference championships. At UC Davis, he guided the team through reclassification from Division II to Division I, achieving notable wins against teams like Stanford and Boise State, and set a record for the most wins during a four-year transition period. He also served as President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2022, currently holds a Director Emeritus role, and has been involved in various NCAA committees and coaching roles for Team USA and other events.

Stewart's accolades include being named the 2021 Standout Coach by the All-In Campus Democracy Challenge and receiving a lifetime achievement award from President Barack Obama in 2016. Inducted into the University of La Verne Hall of Fame in 2009, he was a standout player there, earning four All-SCIAC honors and the SCIAC Ted Ducey Award for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and sportsmanship. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of La Verne.