Sept. 26, 2007
San Jacinto College News Release

Gernander to be inducted into UMD Athletic Hall of Fame
By Amanda Booren

San Jacinto College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Scott Gernander will be inducted into the University of Minnesota Duluth Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, September 28. This is the second Hall of Fame honor for the coach this year.

Gernander, a native of Duluth, Minn., and a 1965 Denfeld High School graduate, was a four-time letter-winner in both basketball and football during his four years at UMD. As a guard on the hardcourt during the 1968-69 season, Gernander ranked first among the Bulldogs in points per game with an 11.7 average. As a senior that year, he earned the UMD Men’s Basketball Most Valuable Player Award and was named the University’s Outstanding Senior Athlete.

“It is such an honor for me because I loved the school I attended and I loved the city, which is where I grew up,” said Gernander. “It is very humbling for me not only because of all the great athletes that are in it, but because of all of those that didn't make it."

After graduation, Gernander began his coaching career at Tower Soudan (Minn.) High School where he coached for seven years. He then made his way to Texas as the head coach at South Houston High School. In 1980 he was hired as an assistant coach at San Jacinto College and was later promoted to head coach in 1987.

An eight-time National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIV coach of the year, Gernander has compiled a 542-128 overall record at San Jac, while directing the men’s basketball program to eight NJCAA Division I National Tournament appearances, including runner-up finishes in 1997 and 2003, and a third place finish in 1989.

During his 20 years at the helm of the San Jac program, Gernander has coached National Basketball Association (NBA) all-stars Sam Cassell, currently of the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Houston Rockets’ Steve Francis. Gernander was also a standout football player at UMD. As a senior, he posted a team-leading 14 catches for 203 yards while finishing second on the team with 247 passing yards (21 completions on 46 attempts and one touchdown).

This past March, Gernander was also inducted into the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The San Jacinto men’s basketball team begins its 2007-08 campaign Friday, November 2, 2007 at home with the Sam Cassell Classic. All home games are played on the San Jac Central Campus in Pasadena.