April 5, 2005

Los Angeles, CA (Apr. 5) -- A familiar face to those in the West Coast Conference will take over the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball program as LMU Director of Athletics Dr. William Husak announced today, Tuesday, April 5, that Rodney Tention will be the 23rd Head Men's Basketball Coach of the Lions. Tention played three seasons with San Francisco and joins the Lions after eight seasons as an assistant at the University of Arizona.

"We are proud and excited to have Rodney joining our family here at Loyola Marymount and returning to the West Coast Conference," said Husak. "Rodney embodies everything we were searching for in a head coach, which will allow us to compete and win WCC Championships while maintaining our University's mission of developing the whole person."

Tention has been no stranger to success. In 10 seasons at the NCAA Division I level, Tention has helped coach teams to 10 straight postseason appearances, including nine trips to the NCAA tournament. He has spent the last eight seasons under Lute Olson where he worked primarily with the perimeter players while helping with scouting reports, game day preparation and was one of the key players in Arizona's nationally-renowned recruiting efforts. In his time at Arizona, the Wildcats posted a record of 206-56 (.786). Since joining the Wildcat program in April 1997, Tention's perimeter players have proven to be among the best anywhere. In addition to Miles Simon, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Gilbert Arenas, and Jason Gardner, the 2004-05 Arizona backcourt with all-Pac-10 performer Salim Stoudamire and all-Freshman standout Mustafa Shakur has the talent and ability that few matched this past season.

"Loyola Marymount has given me the opportunity to pursue the goal I have had since I entered this profession and that is to become a Division-I head coach," said Tention, 41. "This is an exciting opportunity because LMU is a great academic-athletic institution. The potential to be very good is here at LMU."

Tention is familiar with LMU and the WCC as he graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1988 after playing three seasons with the Dons. "It is fantastic to return to the WCC. I love the conference, and I loved it when I was in it. I follow my alma mater and I know the guys in the conference well. LMU is a special place and this is a special conference," said Tention. "This league is full of very good coaches and it is going to be a challenge. I am excited to accept that challenge."

LMU finished the 2004-05 season 11-17 overall and 3-11 in the WCC but will return a talent-laden team that will be one of the most experienced in the conference. "We have a large group of returning players and we have the opportunity to be very good," said Tention. "You look at the teams who are successful and they have veteran players. Six juniors and four seniors will be on next year's team with the top players returning as upper classmen. My intent is to get them to believe that they are playing for the WCC Championship. We are not thinking of anything but reaching the top."

Prior to his arrival in Tucson, Tention spent six seasons at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, Calif. He spent three years as an assistant for the Argonauts from 1991-94, recruiting the talent that led the school to its first NCAC playoff appearance in 1994, and three years (1994-97) as the head coach while the program transitioned from the NCAA Division II level to the NAIA.

Before heading to the College of Notre Dame, Tention served as an assistant at the University of South Florida in Tampa from 1989-91 where the team made back-to-back postseason appearances, including to the NCAA West Regional First Round in 1989-90 after the Bulls won the Sun Belt Conference tournament. He received his start in the collegiate coaching ranks as an assistant coach at Skyline Community College in San Bruno, Calif., during the 1988-89 campaign in which the team captured the Coast Conference Championship.

While at USF, Tention averaged 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in his three-year career at USF, where he was a two-year captain and the team's most valuable player. He played for Jim Brovelli, who recently served as an assistant coach with the NBA's Denver Nuggets. Tention competed in the junior college ranks at Grossmont Community College and was the squad's captain and MVP during the 1984-85 season. He also played at the Air Force Academy in 1983-84.

Tention received a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of San Francisco in 1988 and earned a master's in public administration from the College of Notre Dame in 1995. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons, Justice (8) and Miles (5).

-GO LIONS-