Doug Bruno and Jennifer Gillom will be on the sidelines as the U.S. looks to recapture the FIBA World Championship gold medal. All Photos Courtesy USA Basketall.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A pair of head coaches who previously helped USA Basketball teams capture gold medals in international competition, Doug Bruno of DePaul University and Jennifer Gillom of the WNBA Minnesota Lynx, have been named as assistant coaches for the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team, USA Basketball announced today. The coaches were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

Bruno and Gillom will assist USA Basketball Women’s National Team and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma during the USA’s training camps leading up to and during the 2010 FIBA World Championship, scheduled to be played Sept. 23 – Oct. 3 in the Czech Republic.

The USA’s first 2009 training camp will be held Sept. 30 - Oct. 5 at American University in Washington, D.C., followed by a tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Oct. 9-11, and a training camp in the spring (dates and sites TBD). The team will gather in the fall of 2010 for the final training ahead of the ’10 Worlds.

“Obviously picking a team is crucial to the success of the national team,” said Auriemma. “But having the right coaching staff is really key, because we want people who know how to teach the game and have great rapport with the players. Doug, from all the years that he’s coached, the opportunities he’s had with USA Basketball and his tremendous love and dedication to the game of women’s basketball, I thought he was a great pick. And Jennifer, having played at the highest level and having been thrown into a situation in Minnesota, I thought she did an incredible job all summer, especially after losing Seimone Augustus. I’m thrilled to death. I’m happy for the two of them, happy for me, personally, to get two great people on our staff. I’m excited for our players because I think they’re going to have a great experience.”

“It’s always an honor to be asked to represent your country in international competition,” said Bruno, who coached USA Basketball teams to gold medals in 2006 and 2007. “The honor is beyond words. I can’t even explain it. There were a range of emotions that ran through me when I first was told that this was going to happen. I feel very, very thankful to USA Basketball that they would think enough of our abilities to be able to be a part of this team. I’m thankful to Geno. I’m very honored and excited to be working with a championship coach, a Hall of Fame coach of Geno’s caliber. I’ve known the Gillom family for many years through one of my former players and I know the quality of person that Jennifer is. It’s also an honor to coach this level of player. These are the best women’s basketball players in the world. It’s our job to prove they’re the best in the world, but we know they’re the best in the world. It’s really an honor to serve this great coaching staff and these great players.”

“I was shocked, dazed, you name it, when I was asked to coach,” said 1988 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Gillom, who also captured gold medals on a pair of USA World Championship teams. “With all the things that have happened to me in the past year, being inducted into the (Women’s Basketball) Hall of Fame, then being the new Lynx head coach, this really tops the charts. To be recognized for the work that you’ve done, that you’ve put in as a player and a coach, then coming back to USA Basketball and representing your country again is an honor. I thought it was an honor as a player, but coming back as a coach is definitely one of the highlights of my career.”

Eight players have been named to the 2009-10 USA Basketball Women’s National Team, from which the eventual 12-member 2010 USA World Championship Team will be selected. The USA team is fluid, and additional athletes will be added throughout the course of the quadrennium.

Named to the 2009-10 USA National Team on Aug. 17 were Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Kara Lawson (Sacramento Monarchs), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix Mercury) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury).

Doug Bruno, with assistants Carol Owens and Cynthia Cooper, in 2007 led the USA U19 World Championship Team to a gold medal.

Bruno, co-recipient of the 2006 and 2007 USA Basketball Developmental National Coach of the Year awards and the only two-time winner of the award, headed up a pair of age-based teams in back-to-back summers, compiling a perfect 16-0 record along the way.

“I also want to thank my DePaul staff, the DePaul University administration, Father Dennis Holtschneider, our president, and Jean Lenti Ponsetto, our athletic director for allowing me and supporting me in accepting this role with USA Basketball,” added Bruno. “I also want to acknowledge and thank my assistant coaches Nicci Hays-Fort, Candis Blankson, Bart Brooks and Allison Guth. You can’t accept a role like this without having a program working back on the college front. I can’t do this without great assistant coaches. I also want to acknowledge the support of my own players, because unless you have quality players who allow you to go and coach at this other level, it doesn’t work, and I’m very thankful of the support from everyone at DePaul University.”

In 2007, Bruno guided the USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team to a 9-0 record and the gold medal at the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. The USA dominated the competition by an average scoring margin of 34.6 points a game. Prior to the U19 World Championship, the USA notched a 3-0 record in an exhibition tournament in the Canary Islands, Spain.

Bruno’s first USA Basketball coaching assignment came in 2006 as head coach of the USA Women’s U18 FIBA Americas Championship Team. The USA tallied a 4-0 record in Colorado Springs, Colo., capturing the gold medal and qualifying the USA for the FIBA U19 World Championship.

On the eve of his 24th year as head coach of the DePaul women, Bruno has compiled an overall record of 437-252 (.635 winning percentage) through the 2008-09 season, reaching 14 NCAA Tournaments and four WNITs along the way.

	Jennifer Gillom thought her USA Basketball playing career was over after winning the 1988 Olympic gold medal. She was called upon one final time and as a member of the 2002 USA World Championship Team, helped the U.S. capture gold.

A member of six different USA Basketball teams, Gillom won five gold medals and one silver medal during her international basketball career and was named the 1985 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. A 1988 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, Gillom aided the 1986 and 2002 USA World Championship teams to gold, was a member of the 1987 USA Pan American Games and 1986 USA Goodwill Games squads that earned gold and garnered a silver medal with the 1985 USA World University Games Team. Additionally, Gillom served on the 2005-08 USA Basketball Cadet and Youth Committee.

“I think my experience as a player, especially with my years in international basketball, will be a benefit to the team,” said Gillom. “I also have a great relationship working with players at every level. I think that’s a huge asset of mine. Geno is a great coach and I would love to compliment what he does, but also helping to keep the young ladies on the same page and doing whatever else would benefit the team.

“Just watching Geno, his coaching abilities are just amazing to me. In coaching a couple of his players in the WNBA, I know that he has put in work with these players and set a standard like all great coaches who have had an impact on players. Geno is a type of coach I would love to learn from. He’s a winner. He has a great relationship with his players, something that I admire. He’s someone I aspire to be like one day. He’s had an awesome career, and I would love to be like him in my coaching endeavors.”

The 2009 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee is in her second year with the Minnesota Lynx. After serving as an assistant coach in 2008, Gillom was elevated to head coach prior to the start of the 2009 season. Starting the year 4-1, in their sixth game Gillom and the Lynx lost Augustus to a torn ACL in her left knee. Despite missing one of the league’s top players, Gillom helped keep the Lynx within striking distance of the playoffs and finished the season with a 14-20 mark.

The 2002 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship of the Year award recipient, Gillom was signed by the WNBA and allocated to the Phoenix Mercury on Dec. 9, 1996. She spent the first six years with the Mercury and closed out her WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2003. A member of the 1999 All-Star Game West Team, Gillom was also named to the 1997 All-WNBA first team and 1998 All-WNBA second team. Gillom helped lead the Mercury to three playoff berths (1997, 1998, 2000) where they advanced to the WNBA Finals, losing to Houston in the ‘98 WNBA Finals.

Gillom enjoyed a lengthy professional career overseas prior to joining the WNBA playing for teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and Turkey. Spending most of her time in Italy, Gillom played in Ansona, Messina, Milan and Taranto and was selected to several Italian League All-Star teams. She was the second leading scorer in the Italian league in both 1994-95 (28.3 ppg.) and 1995-96 (24.6 ppg.). During her stint in Turkey, Gillom aided her Istanbul-based Galatasaray squad to the 1998 Turkish Cup and 1998 Turkish championship, while averaging a EuroLeague high of 21.8 points a game in 14 EuroLeague contests.

Gillom played collegiately for Van Chancellor at Ole Miss, where she was the 1986 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Female Athlete of the Year. A 1986 Kodak All-American, Gillom earned 1986 NCAA Midwest Regional MVP and 1985 All-Mideast Region honors and was a four-time All-SEC first team selection. She led the Lady Rebels in scoring her final three seasons and finished, behind her sister Peggie, as Ole Miss’ all-time second leading scorer (2,186 points). During her four-year career (1982-83 to 1985-86), Gillom helped her teams to a 103-23 record (.817 winning percentage), four NCAA appearances, including a pair of Sweet Sixteens (1983, 1984) and two Elite Eight finishes (1985, 1986), and a share of three SEC West titles.

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee includes: USA Basketball Past President Val Ackerman, WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Reneé Brown, USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director Carol Callan, Athlete Representative and five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards, and USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley.

FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship has been contested essentially every four years since 1953, and the United States captured the first two Worlds gold medals before the beginning of the Soviet domination of women’s basketball was kicked-off at the 1959 World Championship. The former USSR put together a string of five straight golds (1959, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1975), before the United States reclaimed gold in 1979. The Soviet Union in 1983 earned its final World Championship crown as the USA went on to capture four of the next five World Championships (1986, 1990, 1998, 2002). The only other nations to break into the gold medal column at this event are Australia, the defending world champion, and Brazil, which defeated the USA in the 1994 semifinals and went on to take the top spot that year.

The USA owns a record seven gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in FIBA World Championship play, while compiling an all-time 88-21 record at the event. In 2006, the most recent World Championship, the U.S. fell 75-68 to Russia in the semifinals, but rebounded to take host Brazil 99-59 in the bronze medal game and finish with an 8-1 record. Australia earned the gold after defeating Russia 91-74 in the final contest.

Already qualified for two of the 16 slots are host Czech Republic and the USA as defending Olympic champions. Earning berths during the 2009 FIBA Europe qualifying tournament were France (gold medalists), Russia (silver medalists), Spain (bronze medalists), Belarus (fourth place finishers) and Greece (fifth place finishers); while Australia claimed FIBA Oceania’s spot after downing New Zealand 2-0 in a two-game qualifying series. The eight remaining spots will be decided through the remaining three FIBA Zone qualifying tournaments, including the top two finishers at the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship (Oct. 9-18 in Antananarivo, Madagascar), the top three finishers at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship (Sept. 23-27 in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil) and the top three finishers at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship (Sept. 17-24 in Chennai, India).

The 16th FIBA World Championship format will feature a round-robin competition in preliminary round play with four groups comprised of four teams each. The top three teams from each preliminary group advance to form two second round groups consisting of six teams each. Each team’s results from its preliminary group carries over to the second round standings and each team will play the other three teams in the second round group whom they have not previously faced. The top four teams from those two groups will advance on to the medal round, and the gold medal game will be played Oct. 3.