Vandals Men's Basketball Camps - University of Idaho

Vandal Men's Basketball Camps
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Head Coach Don Verlin

Don Verlin has joined the University of Idaho family as head coach of the Vandal men’s basketball program. Verlin, who was the longest tenured assistant coach in Utah State history, brings his offensive expertise from the fifth-winningest Division I basketball program of the decade.

“Don is a winner. He has been involved with winning programs his entire career,” Spear said. “He has been mentored by one of the most respected coaches in the game – Stew Morrill.

“Don is a program-builder, a great evaluator of talent, and he understands what it takes to be successful in the Western Athletic Conference.”

Verlin has been with Morrill for 15 years, which includes their time together at Colorado State University before Morrill was hired at Utah State 11 seasons ago. The offensive guru for the Aggies, Verlin has been a key component in Utah State’s nine successive post-season appearances and nine-successive 20-plus-win seasons. In his 16 years at the NCAA level, Verlin’s teams have won 73 percent of their games and over the past 20 years his teams have 467 victories. The teams with which he has been involved never have had a record below .500.

“I’m extremely honored to be chosen the head basketball coach at the University of Idaho,” Verlin said. “I am tremendously excited and am looking forward to building a winning basketball program here.”

Verlin said the schools share not only a conference affiliation that will be beneficial in his transition but a college-town atmosphere that is a draw to his recruiting style and his family.

“One of the things that really impressed me was the passion Rob Spear and (Idaho president) Tim White have for the University of Idaho,” Verlin said.

Verlin, who was in charge of USU's complex offensive schemes, helped turn the Aggies into one of the best shooting teams in the country as they currently are in a position to finish first in the nation for field goal shooting, as they did in 2005. The team has ranked among the top three shooting teams nationally in four of the last five years.

"Don has been with me 15 years and it’s always tough to see someone go when they've been with you that long," Morrill said in a statement released by the school. "I am very happy for him and his family. He will be a terrific head coach and we will miss having him as part of our program. Even though we will be competing in the same league, Don will always be family and that will never change."

Prior to Utah State, Verlin spent two tenures at Colorado State, as he was an assistant at CSU during the 1992 season before moving to Cal State Bakersfield for the 1993 and 1994 seasons. During his two seasons as an assistant in California, Cal State Bakersfield won back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships.

Verlin returned to Colorado State ahead of the 1995 season and then spent the next five seasons in Fort Collins. Prior to his first stint at Colorado State, Verlin was an assistant at Columbia (Calif.) Junior College from 1989-91. Columbia posted an 81-23 record in his three years there and won two conference championships.

Verlin, 42, graduated from Cal State Stanislaus with a degree in physical education in 1991. He earned a master's degree in education from Colorado State in 1993.

Born June 15, 1965 at Roseville, Calif., Verlin graduated from Del Oro High School at Loomis, Calif. He and his wife, the former Serena Shumway, have one son (Jacob, 12) and one daughter (Sydnee, 5). He also has a twin brother (Ron) who is an assistant basketball coach at Pacific.

Coaching experience
1999-2008    Assistant Coach    Utah State
1995-98    Assistant Coach    Colorado State
1993-94    Assistant Coach    Cal State Bakersfield
1992    Assistant Coach    Colorado State
1989-91    Assistant Coach    Columbia (Calif.) JC

Education
1993    Colorado State    Master’s (Education)
1991    Cal State Stanislaus    B.A. (Physical Education)
1983    Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) HS

Assistant Coach Mike Score

Mike Score joined the Idaho men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach in 2007.

Score spent the past three seasons at Utah where the Utes advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament during the 2004-05 season. Prior to his time at Utah, Score spent four seasons as an assistant at Eastern Washington University after earning his start in coaching with four seasons at Southeastern Community College (Iowa).

During Score’s tenure at Eastern Washington, the Eagles went to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and the NIT in 2003 - the school’s first post-season appearances. Eastern also won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2004. He has recruited heavily in the Pacific Northwest, Canada and overseas.

"Joining the Vandal program and coach Pfeifer’s staff is a great opportunity," Score said. "I have known and trusted coach Pfeifer for a long time and respect what he has done in his coaching career. The University of Idaho is a great place and I know we will have success here."

Before his tenure at Eastern Washington, Score spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Southeastern Community College at West Burlington, Iowa. He helped guide Southeastern to the 1999-2000 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championship and a 34-4 record. Eight players from that squad went on to play at NCAA Division I schools.

Southeastern was 94-41 in Score’s four seasons there as he helped recruit three junior college All-America selections. Score coordinated recruiting, academics, film exchange and scouting, and was also the team’s summer camp director.

Score was a student assistant coach at the University of Washington from 1994-96, where he was involved in video exchange and various administrative duties.

Score received two bachelor’s degrees from Washington in 1996, one in business administration and another in political science.

A 1991 graduate of Everett (Wash.) High School, Score was born Dec. 10, 1972, at Seattle, Wash. He married the former Carly Kropff Aug. 6, 2005.

Assistant Coach Mike Freeman

Mike Freeman joined the University of Idaho men’s basketball staff as the Director of Operations in 2007.

Freeman comes to Idaho from Lambuth University at Jackson, Tenn., where he was an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season. The team was ranked in the top ten for twelve consecutive weeks, reaching as high as fourth in the country, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. He coached the Basketball Times NAIA Player of the Year in Ivan Jenkins, who was the second overall pick in the 2007 CBA Draft.

Freeman graduated from Iowa in 2006 with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Sports Studies. He also earned a certificate in Entrepreneurship. While at Iowa, he was the student manager for the men’s basketball team from 2001-2006 where the Hawkeyes earned trips to three NIT’s and two NCAA Tournaments. In 2005-06, Iowa earned a 25-9 overall record, which was the second most wins in school history. The team also finished undefeated at home for the first time in school history at 17-0 and earned a No. 3 seed at the NCAA Tournament.

Freeman is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Assistant Coach Chris Helbling

Chris Helbling joined the University of Idaho men’s basketball program as the Director of Operations in 2008

Helbling came to Idaho after spending two seasons at Gonzaga where he served as a student assistant for the Bulldogs from 2006-08. During his time at Gonzaga, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 48-19 and won two West Coast Conference championships. The team also made two NCAA Tournament appearances. Helbling graduated with honors in 2008.

“We are excited to have Chris join our basketball staff as he brings knowledge of the area and a great work ethic,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “Chris is a smart individual who is going to be a successful coach.”

Before his time at Gonzaga, Helbling was an assistant coach at Walla Walla Community College during the 2005-06 season after a back injury ended his playing career. His responsibilities with the Warriors included recruiting, player development, fundraising, and game preparations. During his three years as a player and coach with WWCC, the Warriors earned a 50-34 overall record and made two trips to the NWAACC tournament where they finished fourth in 2004. During the 2004 season, WWCC was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NWAACC Coaches Poll.

Helbling graduated from Moscow High School in 2003 and was a four-year letterwinner in basketball and baseball.

“I am extremely excited to be home with the University of Idaho,” Helbling said. “I always have been a Vandal and I look forward to helping coach Verlin put a team out on the court the student body, alumni, and community of Moscow will be proud of.”

Assistant Coach Ray Lopes

Ray Lopes joined the University of Idaho men's basketball program in 2008.

“I can’t express how excited I am for Ray Lopes to be joining our Vandal family,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “His résumé and experience speak for themselves.”

Lopes’ résumé shows success at multiple levels of coaching and includes a Western Athletic Conference regular-season title with Fresno State in 2003 and an NBA D League Championship with the Idaho Stampede last season.

“I am very grateful and appreciative to both coach Verlin and (Idaho Director of Athletics) Dr. (Rob) Spear for providing me this opportunity to get back into the college game and to join the Vandal family,” Lopes said. “I am excited to join coach Verlin’s staff and look forward to being a part of a very bright future in Idaho basketball. This is a great opportunity for me and my family.”

Lopes spent the past two years as associate head coach of the Idaho Stampede at Boise. The team finished 36-14 last season on its way to the 2007-08 NBA D League Championship. During the 2006-07 season, the Stampede tied for the best record in the league at 33-17.

Lopes spent the previous season as a personnel scout for the San Antonio Spurs. Prior to his NBA experience, he was head coach at Fresno State University, compiling a cumulative 50-37 record over three seasons. He was named WAC Coach of the Year and CBS Sportsline Rookie Coach of the Year in 2003.

Prior to his stint at Fresno, Lopes spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma under then-coach Kelvin Sampson. He helped the Sooners to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, plus a trip to the Sweet 16 in 1999 and the 2002 Final Four. While at Oklahoma, the Sooners won at least 20 games five seasons in a row, averaging 26 wins per year, including a 31-5 record in 2001-02. The Sooners had a 187-74 record while Lopes was an assistant coach and won the 2001 and 2002 Big 12 Tournament title. Oklahoma was no worse than a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament over his last three years.

Lopes also served as an assistant coach under Sampson for one season at Washington State, where he helped the Cougars to a 20-11 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He joined the Washington State staff after a four-year stint as an assistant at UC Santa Barbara from 1989-93 under head coach Jerry Pimm. The Gauchos posted a 73-44 record and advanced to three postseason tournaments. In 1990, UC Santa Barbara advanced to the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional before losing to the Steve Smith-led Michigan State Spartans. That year, the Gauchos knocked off Jerry Tarkanian's great UNLV team that won 34 consecutive games and the NCAA title.

Lopes and his wife, Pierrette, have two daughters, Alaina and Teylor, and a son, Trey.