While the faces on the floor for ISU men’s basketball team next season will be mostly the same as in 2002—2003, the faces on the sideline won’t be.

New head coach Wayne Morgan introduced his staff of assistants to the media Wednesday. The staff includes just one holdover (besides Morgan) from last season’s staff, a former Cyclone player and a new position, the director of basketball operations.

Bob Sundvold returns as an assistant. He will be joined by former North Carolina aide Fred Quartlebaum, former Southern California assistant Damon Archibald, and former Cyclone and NBA player Jeff Grayer, who will be a graduate assistant. The director of basketball operations will be Darryl Sharp, who comes from Norfolk State.

“We feel that we have one of the best staffs in the country,” Morgan said. “We feel we’ve got guys that can perform any aspect of basketball: Recruit, coach, individual workouts, academics [and] represent us anywhere in the country.”

Graduate assistant Jeff Grayer

Grayer is probably the most recognizable addition to the staff. He is the Cyclone’s all-time leading scorer who went on to play in the NBA for nine years with five teams. He returns to Iowa State as a graduate assistant and is eager for the chance to coach while finishing his degree.

“I’m truly excited about the opportunity of coming back,” Grayer said. “Not only being a part of the coaching staff, but I have a chance to complete something that I started for back in 1984.”

Grayer said he’ll soon discuss with Morgan and academic adviser Donald Reed how to balance his coaching duties and his studies. He added that he’ll also learn what limits are placed on his responsibilities as a graduate assistant in the near future.

As a Cyclone, Grayer amassed 2,502 points and was a three-time All-Big Eight performer. He led the conference in scoring his senior season with 25.3 points per game and was a second-team All-American. The following summer, Grayer played for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, winning a bronze medal in Seoul, South Korea.

“He gives our players … the unique opportunity to be a part of and understand the history and the tradition here at Iowa State in terms of basketball,” Morgan said. “[He] gives them a complete wealth of knowledge in terms of how to play, how to carry yourself, how to be a professional how to develop your game [and] individual fundamentals.”

Grayer was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 13th pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft. When his NBA career ended in 1998, he played in the Continental Basketball Association for two years. In 2001—2002, Grayer became head coach and president of basketball operations for the CBA team in his hometown of Flint, Mich. Last season, he held the same positions with the Great Lakes Storm.

Assistant coach Damon Archibald

Archibald comes to Iowa State after three seasons as an assistant at Southern California. He helped the Trojans to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Archibald was responsible for coaching Southern California’s defense, which led the Pacific 10 Conference in steals and turnover margin in 2002.

Prior to his stint at Southern California, Archibald assisted at Pepperdine for a season after serving as recruiting coordinator for Jerry Tarkanian at Fresno State.

Archibald said he had coached against Morgan in the past, twice at Southern California and once at Pepperdine. Morgan was head coach at Long Beach State at the time.

“I know the players … liked him. They liked the program and liked his style of play,” Archibald said. “That’s the biggest testament to a coach is how the players and the staff respond to the coach. I know that … some of his former staff who are friends of mine loved working for Wayne.”

Archibald has extensive basketball experience. In addition to being an assistant coach, his father, Lynn, was head coach at Idaho State and Utah.

“Damon Archibald has grown up and literally suckled on college basketball,” Morgan said.

As a collegiate player, Archibald helped Boise State win Big Sky Conference championships in 1993 and 1994.

Assistant coach Fred Quartlebaum

Quartlebaum was the first assistant hired by Morgan. He spent the last three seasons under former North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty, following him from Notre Dame to Chapel Hill.

Quartlebaum also assisted at the Naval Academy, Holy Cross, Fairfield and Towson State.

While at North Carolina, Quartlebaum helped recruit five McDonald’s All-Americans, but Doherty and his staff were forced out after a disappointing 2002—2003 season. After the uproar he experienced there, and the controversy that led to Larry Eustachy’s resignation at Iowa State, Quartlebaum said he’s eager to bring some stability to the ISU program.

“That’s probably the first order of business,” he said. “To bring in quality people that can coach, that can recruit, that can formulate relationships, all those things.”

Quartlebaum said his enthusiasm is growing as he learns more about “Hilton Magic” and other ISU basketball traditions.

“When I walk into the arena, I can’t help but get goose bumps,” he said. “I think its a very, very, very, very thrilling experience. It’s the only show in town. I’m just tickled to be here.”

Director of basketball operations Darryl Sharp

Sharp, who is in the process of finalizing his employment as director of basketball operations, said there are many tasks that go along with the job.

“One is going to be working with academic counseling,” Sharp said. “I’ll kind of be a liaison between coach and the academic person.”

Sharp would not comment on potential academic problems with current players, but he said he dealt with similar issues when he worked at the University of Louisville.

“We really were able to turn things around academically,” he said. “We had mandatory study hall five days a week. You were required to have a 2.5 grade point average or higher to get out of study hall. It really made a huge difference.”

Sharp said he’ll also be working on basketball camps, mass mailings and exchanging film with other teams for scouting.

Sharp worked with long-time Louisville head coach Denny Crum, who guided the Cardinals to two national championships.

“I learned a lot just from attending practice each day,” Sharp said. “It was just an honor to have an opportunity to work on a staff with him.”