Wake Forest Athletics
Chris Mack Leaving Wake Forest For Alma Mater
7/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 20, 2004
Chris Mack, an assistant coach on Skip Prosser's staff for the past three seasons, has resigned to take the top assistant's position at Xavier University, Mack's alma mater. Prosser did not immediately name a replacement. The following press release comes from Xavier's sports information office:
CINCINNATI --- Xavier University head basketball coach Sean Miller announced today that he has hired four of the five members of his staff.
Miller, who took over as head coach at XU on July 8, has hired former Xavier and Wake Forest assistant Chris Mack and former Ohio State and Toledo assistant Monte Mathis as two of his three assistant coaches. Bill Comar, who was on former coach Thad Matta's staff at XU the past three years, retains his position as Director of Basketball Operations and Mario Mercurio, who has held several positions at XU over the past five years, was promoted to Director of Basketball Administration.
Chris Mack, 34, returns to Xavier after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Wake Forest under former XU head coach Skip Prosser.
"We are very excited to have Chris rejoin the Xavier basketball family," said Miller. "Chris was a tremendous player on championship teams here. In the 2000-01 season he was part of Coach (Skip) Prosser's staff that participated in the NCAA Tournament. In talking to our former players such as David West, Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers it was obvious that Chris had a special bond with them. Since leaving Xavier Chris played an integral part in Wake Forest's rise to national prominence over the last three years, which included a 2003 ACC Championship. He is a proven rcruiter, an outstanding communicator and most important he has a passion for Xavier University."
Mack, a two-time team captain as a player at Xavier, was XU's director of basketball operations from 1999-2001. A 1992 Xavier University graduate with a degree in communication arts, Mack served as reserve coach at Cincinnati's McAuley High School in 1995 before taking the varsity head coaching job at Cincinnati's Mt. Notre Dame High School in 1995. He was head coach at Mt. Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati, compiling a composite 74-19 record from 1996-99. Mack, a two-time GGCL Coach of the Year (1996, 1999), earned 1996 Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post Coach of the Year honors as led Mt. Notre Dame to four consecutive GGCL titles, four straight sectional crowns and two district championships.
Mack's college playing career began at Evansville, where he was a star as a freshman and sophomore. After two seasons with the Purple Aces, Mack transferred to Xavier, serving as a team captain his junior and senior years in 1991-92 and 1992-93. In high school, Mack played for Cincinnati's St. Xavier High, earning Cincinnati Post and Greater Cincinnati League Player of the Year honors. Mack also played for the Athletes in Action in 1993 and in a European Pro League in 1994.
Monte Mathis, 37, comes to Xavier after four seasons on the staff at Ohio State, including the last three seasons as an assistant coach. Before being elevated to assistant coach in 2001-02, Mathis served as the team's video coordinator.
"We are fortunate to have Monte join our Xavier basketball staff," said Miller. "Monte is very familiar with the City of Cincinnati, the State of Ohio and the entire Midwest because of his family and coaching background. This past year he was responsible for signing two of the top players n the state in Jamar Butler and Matt Terwilliger. He has a passion to recruit and has developed a special network through his efforts over the past eight years at Toledo and Ohio State. He is also a knowledgeable coach and teacher of the game and has been a part of a Big Ten Championship team in 2002."
Mathis spent four years with the University of Toledo men's basketball program as an assistant coach before leaving to join Ohio State in August of 2000. At Toledo, Mathis' duties included on-the-court coaching, recruiting, scouting of opponents and director of summer basketball camps. He helped the Rockets to their first postseason appearance in 18 years while winning the MAC's West division crown two years in a row.
Prior to his tenure with the Rockets, Mathis spent one season as an assistant at the University of South Alabama (1995-96) and a year as the graduate manager at McNeese State (1994-95). His background also includes experience at the high school level. He served as an assistant varsity coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati from 1991-93.
Mathis was a two-year letterwinner (1988-89) in basketball and baseball at Toledo, earning a bachelor of arts degree in communications from UT in 1991. A native of Cincinnati, Mathis graduated from Purcell Marian High in 1985 after serving as starting point guard and captain of the state champion basketball team his senior year.
Mathis enrolled at the University of Kansas in the fall of 1985 and was a reserve guard on a Jayhawk basketball team that reached the Final Four that season. He later transferred to Toledo. Mathis was also a standout baseball player. In fact, following his collegiate athletics career, Mathis played professional baseball for three seasons.
Bill Comar, 33, is entering his fourth year as Xavier's Director of Basketball Operations. He came to Xavier after four years on Oliver Purnell's staff at the University of Dayton, including two seasons as an assistant coach (1998-99 and 2000-01) and two years as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations (1997-98 and 1999-2000). Comar was at UD beginning in November, 1997, and was involved in all aspects of the Flyer basketball program.
"As important as any ingredient to our future is the fact that Bill Comar is our Director of Basketball Operations," said Miller. "Bill played an invaluable role in our success over the past three seasons. He is extremely organized in all that he does. He has special relationships with our players and understands our system on and off the court as well as anybody. We are elated that he will be a part of our future."
Prior to his stint at Dayton, Comar spent the 1996-97 school year at Miami (Ohio) where was an Academic Coordinator in the athletic department. Prior to that, he was a member of the men's basketball staff at Miami for three years as a volunteer administrative assistant and academic advisor. During the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons he worked with Sean Miller, who was an assistant on Herb Sendek's Miami staff.
Comar graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College in 1993 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. He received his M.S. in Sport Studies from Miami in 1995.
Mario Mercurio, 24, was promoted to the position as the athletic department's first-ever Director of Basketball Administration.
"Mario is a very loyal person and he loves Xavier," said Miller.
"He has been a part of Coach Prosser's success here at Xavier and also our success during the past three years. Mario knows Xavier University and the City of Cincinnati as well as anybody can. He also is a great communicator with our players and their families. When people see Mario around our office it brings a sense of comfort to everyone."
Last season Mercurio was the Men's Basketball Administrative Intern. He spent three years working with Thad Matta's staff and also worked two years under Skip Prosser.
Mercurio, a graduate of Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School who began his undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee, graduated in 2002 from Xavier with a double major of finance and marketing. He has begun work on his MBA at Xavier.
