Kent State Mens Basketball Camps

Rob Senderoff rejoined the Kent State program as the associate head coach in April 2008. A 12-year Division I coaching veteran, Senderoff makes his return to the Golden Flashes program which he helped to four straight 20-win seasons and four post season appearances from 2002-06.

“We are really lucky to get someone with Rob’s quality and experience on our staff,” said Head Coach Geno Ford, “He is proven national recruiter and an excellent on the floor coach that brought five guys on our current roster to Kent State. His familiarity with the program gives him credibility with the players.”

During Senderoff’s first stint on staff, the Golden Flashes went 89-40 (.690) and won three Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division titles. After three straight National Invitational Tournament appearances, he helped KSU advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06 as the team won both the MAC regular season and tournament titles with a 25-9 overall record.

“We are pleased to have Rob rejoin our staff under Coach Ford,” said Athletic Director Laing Kennedy. “I look forward to what he brings to our program and the positive impact he will have with our student-athletes both on and off the court.”

Known for his ability to develop post players, Senderoff spent the 2006-07 season at Indiana where he worked with All-Big Ten and preseason All-American D.J. White. While a member of the Hoosier’s staff, IU went 21-11 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was also part of a staff that recruited The Hoops Scoops No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2007.

With the Golden Flashes he had a critical role in the progression of 2004 First Team and MAC Defensive Player of the Year, John Edwards, who played in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. Additionally at Kent State, Senderoff also coached All-MAC performer Antonio Gates who went on to become an All-Pro tight end for the San Diego Chargers. During his tenure at Miami University, he was on a staff that helped develop current NBA players Wally Szczerbiak and Ira Newble.

A native of Spring Valley, N.Y., Senderoff began his coaching career as a student assistant at the University at Albany under legendary coach Richard “Doc” Sauers before moving on to the MAC as a graduate assistant at Miami from 1995-97. Returning to the East Coast, he spent time at Fordham (1995-97), Yale (1999-2001) and Towson (2001-02) prior to joining the Golden Flashes staff.

At Kent State, seven players earned All-MAC honors, including 2006 MAC Player of the Year DeAndre Haynes. At Yale, he saw one recruit earn Ivy League Freshman of the Year accolades and at Fordham another player earned A-10 Freshman of the Year honors.

“I’m excited to be back at Kent State,” said Senderoff. “I appreciate Coach Ford, Athletic Director Laing Kennedy and the University administration for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to continuing the success and tradition of the program.”

Senderoff earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albany in 1995 and a master’s in sports studies from Miami in 1997. He is married to the former Lauren Edelstein, and the couple have two daughters, Samantha Brooke (4) and Rachel Senderoff who was born in March.

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Armon Gates
Assistant Coach

Kent State men’s basketball Head Coach Geno Ford has announced the return of former Golden Flash Armon Gates to the program as an assistant coach. Gates comes back to KSU after spending last season on the coaching staff at Western Kentucky.

“This is exciting for me to have a former player in the program, someone who understands what the tradition is all about,” said Ford. “Armon was a very good player and is a guy who did everything right when he was here, on and off the floor. We want kids just like Armon. Our players will relate to him very well.”

A MAC All-Academic selection while at Kent State, Gates’ first season in the coaching profession was highly successful. After capturing the Sun Belt Tournament championship, the Hilltoppers earned a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the to the ‘Sweet 16’ before falling to Final Four participant UCLA. WKU ended the year with a 29-7 mark to equal the Sun Belt record for wins in a season.

“This is a great situation for me,” said Gates. “I will always appreciate coach Ford for giving me this opportunity, and I want to thank Kent State’s administration. They have welcomed me back with open arms.”

As a student-athlete Gates scored 804 career points as the Golden Flashes totaled an 88-42 record and earned three national post season appearances. He finished his career tied for second all-time with 200 three-point field goals made, including a team beast 72 as a senior. During his junior year in 2005-06, Kent State went 25-9 and 15-3 to win the MAC regular season title outright. The Golden Flashes then qualified for the NCAA Tournament behind Gates who averaged 12.0 points per game and shot 11 of 15 from three (73.3%) during the MAC Tournament championship run.

“Kent State is where my heart and loyalty is,” said Gates, “I was happy to go away for one year to learn in another program, but now I’m really excited to be back. I’m going to be a players’ coach here. I’ll be here for them.”

The Chicago, Ill. local was part of four straight 20-win teams at Kent State which reached the National Invitation Tournament in 2004 and 2005 prior to the NCAA Tournament in 2006.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in leisure studies in May of 2006, Gates earned a master’s degree in sports administration while completing his final year of eligibility in 2006-07.

A product of Hillcrest High School in Chicago, Gates spent one season at Brewster Academy (N.H.) prior to joining the Golden Flashes program in the fall of 2002.

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Mike Brown
Director of Basketball Operations

Mike Brown is the newest member of the coaching staff, joining the program this year as the Director of Basketball Operations. Brown joins the Golden Flashes after spending the past two seasons at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich.

“I’m excited to be apart of a program with such a rich tradition and success,” added Brown, “I’m looking forward to learning from the staff and hope to continue the program’s storied achievements.”

In his role of director of basketball operations, Brown will be responsible for the day-to-day business of the program including budget planning, travel arrangements, film exchange coordination, opponent scouting and summer camps. In addition, Brown will also serve as an academic counselor for the program where he’ll be responsible for monitoring team study tables and advising team members on career planning and coursework. He will work as an extension of the office of Academic Services and deal with the players’ academic interests on a daily basis.

“Mike is a great addition to our program and his existing relationship with our staff and student-athletes is a plus,” said Christian, “His knowledge in academic and career advising allows him to transition quickly into an essential part of our staff.”

Brown was named the 2007 Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Coach of the Year after winning the MCCAA Tournament Championship. Under his guidance the Ocelots posted a 23-10 regular season mark last season and finished second in the East Standings with a 13-5 record. In the process, Brown, mentored the development of two all-American, four all-league and one all-defensive team selections. Four of his players earned scholarships to play at Division I level this season, including Kent State junior Gabe Garcia (Sao Paulo, Brazil / Schoolcraft C.C. (Mich.)).

As an assistant at Schoolcraft in 2005-06, Brown helped the program to a 23-5 record and coached James Davis, an All-American honoree and the Region XII and MCCAA Player of the Year.

Brown began his coaching career in the Michigan High School ranks where he led Belleville to the 2004-05 Mega Red Division Title going 21-2 with an 11-1 division record.

Attending Wayne State University in Detroit, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2002 and a Masters in Sports Administration in 2005.

As a player, Brown was a two time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Academic Team pick at Wayne State.

Following his junior season in 2000-01, he was named to the all-conference team while leading the Warriors in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played.

Prior to WSU, he begin his playing career at Siena Heights University in Adrain, Mich., leading the team in scoring in each of his two seasons with the program. As a sophomore he helped the team to the Division II Final Four while taking home third team all-American and all-academic team accolades.

The Golden Flashes are one of just nine teams in the country to have won 20 games in each of the last nine seasons. They begin their quest for a 10th consecutive 20 win season on Nov. 10 at Detroit.

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications