Cleveland Announces Additions to Coaching Staff

PROVO -- BYU Head Basketball Coach Steve Cleveland today announced that assistant coach Nathan Call has been named director of basketball operations and former Cougar player Andy Toolson and Pine View High School (St. George, Utah) coach John Wardenburg have been hired as assistant coaches.

Toolson and Wardenburg join Associate Head Coach Dave Rose to complete Cleveland's coaching staff. The coaching additions, prompted by last month's departure of former assistant Heath Schroyer and Call's new position, are the first on Cleveland's staff since he took over the BYU program in 1997.

"My staff has been completely loyal and totally dedicated to my vision for the BYU basketball program," Cleveland said. "I am certainly grateful for the efforts of Dave, Heath and Nate as assistants and now look forward to having Andy and John join the staff. I am excited about the enthusiasm and talents these men bring to our program."

Call, who served as an assistant to Cleveland the past four seasons, takes over the director of basketball operations position vacated by Judkins, who was named BYU's Head Women's Basketball Coach in April. Call is the third person to serve as the director of basketball operations, following Judkins and the late Lynn Archibald. Unlike Judkins, Call will work exclusively with the men's program.

"I have really been interested in going back and getting an MBA and the director of basketball operations position affords me that opportunity," said Call. "The time demands of coaching really wouldn't allow me to pursue the degree. I look forward to continue working with the program and will be able to consider my options once I have completed the MBA."

Toolson joins Cleveland's staff after an 11-year professional career in Europe and the NBA. The former BYU star began his professional career as a rookie with the Utah Jazz during the 1990-91 season and played parts of two other seasons with the Jazz. Overseas he has played in Italy, Greece and Spain, where he currently plays for Casa de Mont in Girona. Toolson has twice been named to the ULEB All-Star team in Europe.

While at BYU the 6-foot-6 guard played three seasons for Ladell Anderson (1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89) and one year for Roger Reid (1989-90). As a senior, Toolson became only the fifth Cougar to be named Academic All-American and also earned All-WAC Second Team honors averaging 18.3 points and helping BYU win the 1990 WAC title. He played on two conference championship teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament, including the 1988 team that won 17 consecutive games and achieved a No. 2 national ranking. He still holds BYU records for career three-pointers made (141), most threes in a season (74) and best single-game free throw percentage (14-14, 1.000). He ranks second for consecutive games with a three-pointer (16), third in career three-point percentage (.437) and 11th in career points scored (1,388).

"I'm looking forward to working with Steve Cleveland and Dave Rose," Toolson said. "They are men in whom I have a lot of respect. I've been impressed with the way they have directed the program. I look forward to working with the young men at BYU. I'm excited about the opportunity and feel I can contribute to the continued success of BYU basketball."

A native of Twin Falls, Idaho, Toolson, 35, served an LDS Church mission to Concepcion, Chile from 1985-87. He earned a BA in International Relations from BYU in 1990 and an MA in Social Science from Syracuse in 1999. He is married to the former Holly Hill and they have four children.

"Andy's extensive and diverse collegiate and professional experience will be a great foundation in his development as a Division I coach and recruiter, " Cleveland said. "I have great respect for Andy's work ethic and passion for the game. As a professional athlete, Andy has been able to attain a real balance in his life and continues to be a great ambassador for BYU and the Church."

Toolson's primary responsibilities on the coaching staff will include recruiting, academics, offensive skill development and game preparation.

Wardenburg, 42, comes to BYU with 11 years of coaching experience at the high school and junior college level. He compiled a 105-62 record in seven years as a head coach at Payson High School (1988-93) and Pine View High School (1999-01) while guiding his teams to five league titles and seven state tournament berths. In those seven years, his teams earned three fifth-place state tournament finishes, one third-place finish, and his current team at Pine View won this year's 3A Utah State High School Championship.

After Wardenburg's Payson teams claimed three league titles and posted a 76-43 overall record, he served as an assistant coach from 1993-97 at Dixie College, where he assisted Rose and helped the Rebels to a 95-31 record and a national ranking as high as No. 2. Wardenburg left coaching for two years to become Dixie's Director of Athletics before taking the head-coaching job at Pine View. With a 29-19 record in his two years at Pine View, Wardenburg won the league title both seasons, guided his teams to a third-place state finish and the state title and was named the 2000 3A Coach of the Year and the 2001 Championship Coach of the Year.

"This is a great opportunity and truly a dream come true to be able to come back to my alma mater and coach," Wardenburg said. "I'm grateful to Steve and the administration for allowing me this opportunity. I believe I bring knowledge, enthusiasm and a great work ethic and I look forward to helping Steve's program achieve further success."

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wardenburg was a four-sport athlete at Kiel High School in Kiel, Wis., where he was second-team all-state in football, played guard on the basketball team and participated in baseball and track. He served an LDS Church mission to The Netherlands from 1977-79 and earned a BA in Political Science from BYU in 1986 and an MA in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Utah State in 1992. He is married to the former Pam Guthrie and they have four sons.

"John has a great understanding of the game and has the respect of high school coaches throughout the state," Cleveland said. "I've known John for 10 years and I've always loved the intensity his teams display at the defensive end of the court. The one attribute I respect most about John is that he is a great teacher of the game."

Wardenburg's primary responsibilities on the staff will include defensive game preparation, defensive skill development, film coordinator and summer camp director.

The BYU basketball program has improved each year under Cleveland. He guided the Cougars to postseason tournaments the last two years while compiling a 46-20 mark. This past season, BYU finished 24-9 while earning its first conference regular season championship since 1993, its first conference tournament title since 1992 and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995. Overall, Cleveland has compiled a 67-57 record in his four seasons in Provo since taking over a BYU program that finished 1-25 the year before his arrival.