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Princeton University Athletics
Joe Scott Named Head Men's Basketball Coach at University of Denver
March 21, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Joe Scott '87, the Franklin C. Cappon-Edward G. Green '40 Head Coach of Men's Basketball at Princeton for the past three seasons, was named the head men's basketball coach at the University of Denver Wednesday afternoon.
Scott, who was named Princeton's head coach in April 2004 after four seasons as the head coach at Air Force, had a 38-45 record in three seasons at Princeton.
"I feel both professionally and personally that this is a good opportunity,'' Scott said. “This was an unbelievably emotional decision. Both my wife and I played and coached at Princeton. I love Princeton basketball. When I looked at everything, it was the right thing. It's more about that then it is about leaving my alma mater."
“Joe spent three years as head coach at Princeton and gave a lot of blood, sweat and tears to Princeton basketball,” said Princeton Director of Athletics Gary Walters '67. “Unfortunately, it might not have worked out the way he would have hoped. We wish him the best at Denver.”
Scott was an assistant coach at Princeton for eight seasons (1992-2000) before accepting the head coaching position at Air Force in 2000. He was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 after leading the Falcons to a 22-7 record, a regular season conference title and the team's first NCAA tournament berth since 1962.
As an assistant coach at Princeton, Scott helped the Tigers to three NCAA tournament appearances. The Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA tournament in both 1996 and 1998 and were ranked as high as No. 7 nationally in 1998.
A native of Pelican Island, N.J., Scott played point guard for the Tigers and was the team's captain and Most Valuable Player in his senior year of 1986-87.
A national search for Scott's successor will begin immediately.