Women's Basketball | 8/14/2024 12:57:00 PM

Utah Tech head women's basketball coach JD Gustin announced on Tuesday the addition of Jerry Finkbeiner as the program's new executive/performance coach. 

"This is obviously a special and unique hire for our program and university," Coach Gustin said. "Coach Finkbeiner's years of experience speak for itself and are absolutely invaluable, but what I like most is how he communicates and relates with our student-athletes and coaches.

"He's been a friend and mentor to me and our team the past few years and that has impacted us greatly in that capacity, I look forward to how he will influence it now in this new day to day coaching role," Gustin added. "He's an amazing person and coach and we are grateful he made the decision to get back into coaching and specifically with Utah Tech."

Finkbeiner enjoyed a very successful head coaching career at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels, during which he compiled a 570-366 (.609) in nearly 30 years on the sidelines. Most recently, he spent six seasons at Utah State from 2012-18, where he led the Aggies to three Women's Basketball Invitational appearances, and coached 12 all-conference and 45 academic all-conference selections.

Prior to his time in Logan, Finkbeiner served as head coach at Oral Roberts for 16 years from 1996-2012, and compiled a 273-208 overall record. He guided the Golden Eagles to six 20-win seasons, as well as two conference regular season titles, five conference tournament titles, five NCAA Tournament berths, and three WNIT appearances.

Finkbeiner began his coaching career at Southern Nazarene, where he posted an impressive 186-20 overall record in six seasons from 1990-96. He led SNU to three-straight NAIA national championships and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1994, 1995 and 1996, which also led to him being inducted to the SNU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.  

"I have watched the evolution of the Trailblazer women's basketball program during its Division I transition," Finkbeiner said. "I have seen the growth of the program under Coach Gustin, and the overall growth of the university as a whole. It's an exciting time at Utah Tech University and I'm excited to now be a part of this program."

Finkbeiner graduated with both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education from Northwest Missouri State. He played collegiately at SNU from 1975-80, where he was a four-year letter winner and an NCCAA All-America selection in 1978. 

Finkbeiner and his wife, Reva, are the parents of five children and 15 grandchildren. 

Utah Tech finished its fourth NCAA Division I season with an 18-14 overall record. The 18 wins are the second-most in the program's fourth and final NCAA Division-I transitional season (19 wins in 2022-23). The Trailblazers also finished fourth in the Western Athletic Conference (12-8) and advanced to the WAC Tournament quarterfinal round.