Yeah, and I like his bio. Those things are made to sell a guy, but I like his.
Rob Jeter is quite happy to be back in Milwaukee.
Jeter is beginning his first season as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, returning to UWM after serving for the last four years as an assistant coach and associate head coach at the University of Wisconsin. He previously served as an assistant at both UWM and Marquette after working and playing at UW-Platteville.
He was introduced as the 20th head coach in UWM basketball history on April 12, 2005, earning the chance to lead a basketball program he helped start on the winning track just five years ago.
"I am excited about this new challenge," Jeter said. "The eyes of the country are on Milwaukee as a result of what these young men have accomplished. I feel very fortunate and am very proud that I get to lead this team toward continued success and into the new direction we are going to head."
Jeter has worked under Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan for 10 of his 11 years as an assistant coach, spending one year under Mike Deane at Marquette. At Wisconsin, Jeter has served as the Badgers' lead recruiter while also coordinating Wisconsin's scouting and academic efforts.
In four seasons at Wisconsin, Jeter helped the Badgers to remarkable success. They won two regular season Big Ten championships and a Big Ten Tournament title. UW also made four NCAA Tournament appearances, including berths in the Sweet 16 (2003) and the Elite Eight (2005). Plus, Wisconsin averaged nearly 23 wins per season under Ryan and Jeter and posted a school-record 38-game home court winning streak.
Jeter served on Ryan's staff for two seasons at UWM, recruiting current Panthers Adrian Tigert and Chris Hill while helping to lay the foundation for success on the basketball court. Under Ryan and Jeter, UWM recorded its first two plus-.500 seasons since the early 1990's while increasing attendance nearly 300 percent.
The expectations at UWM, set in motion by the building blocks put in place by Ryan and Jeter, are higher than ever. It's something Jeter has told anyone listening he wouldn't have any other way.
"My dad and my mom always set high standards for us," Jeter said. "Coach Ryan, who I played for and coached with, always had high standards. I have always had high standards for myself, personally. So, I think we are just going to build on the success that is already here. I think our young men want to win every time they go on the court. Every time I step on to the court I want to win. Every time I wake up in the morning I want to be better than I was yesterday."
Winning has never been a problem for Jeter. All told, he has been a part of nine conference championships, including seven as a coach. He has won three national championships, including two as a coach. As a player at UW-Platteville, his teams went 102-16 in four seasons. In his 11 years as an assistant coach, his teams have posted a 245-85 combined record, good for a .743 winning percentage. In league play, his teams have recorded a 126-46 record.
One of the most popular questions asked of Jeter after taking the job in Milwaukee is the style of play he'll employ. His first answer is easy - a winning style. But a closer look at history, and studying the words of the new head man, shows he'll likely put all 94 feet of the floor to good use.
"We'll dive after loose balls. We'll take charges. We'll take good shots. We'll get after teams," Jeter said. "You'll see our point guard blast the ball up the court and all of the things people appreciate."
In fact, as a player at UW-Platteville, Jeter played on a national championship team that averaged more than 97 points per game and pressed the entire game. In four years a player, Jeter's teams cracked the 100-point mark 29 times, including a record-setting 149-point outing.
But, Jeter also stressed he'll demand great attention be given to the basics of the game, things like passing and boxing out that he notes don't take much talent to do well.
"Fundamentally, we are going to be sound. We will do the little things, and I think the fans will like the way we'll play the game."
Athletic Director Bud Haidet, who hired Bo Ryan and his staff to turn the Panthers' program around in the late 1990s, is thrilled to have Jeter back on board.
"We couldn't be happier to have Rob lead our program," Haidet said. "His coaching resume is impeccable. He has been the associate head coach for a perennial top-25 team and he has contacts with high school coaches throughout Wisconsin, across the Midwest and beyond. He has a tremendous mentor in Bo Ryan and he is respected immensely in all basketball circles.
"He also has experience at UWM and was a big part of laying the foundation for the success we have enjoyed. There is no doubt in my mind we have picked a winner."
One of Jeter's first moves was to assemble a staff of coaches he knew and trusted, putting into motion a plan he had constructed for when his first head-coaching opportunity came.
The staff assembled includes Brian Bidlingmyer, who worked alongside Jeter at Marquette during the 1998-99 season. Also on board is Chad Boudreau, formerly of Indian Hills Community College, whom Jeter worked closely with while on the recruiting trails. Plus, Duffy Conroy, who spent this past year as the director of basketball operations at the University of Wisconsin, made the trip with Jeter to Milwaukee to join the staff.
Jeter then rounded out his staff by filling two administrator positions. He picked Ronnie Jones, who played for Jeter when he was an assistant at UWM, to be the Director of Basketball Operations, and selected Chip MacKenzie, a respected Wisconsin high school coach, to be the Panthers' first-ever video coordinator. Jeter believes he has assembled an exemplary staff.
"The people I have hired are guys I have been around and know personally, and I respect the work they have done," Jeter said. "They bring a wealth of basketball knowledge, coaching skill and recruiting contacts, and are guys that can be good role models for our student-athletes. And, loyalty played a big part in my hiring decisions - these are guys I trust and have known for many years."
Jeter's collegiate basketball life started UW-Platteville, where he played for Ryan from 1987-91 and then was an assistant to Ryan from 1994-98.
As a player for the Pioneers, Jeter captained the Pioneers to the 1991 NCAA Division III title and was named to the All-Final Four team. A two-time All-Wisconsin State University Conference selection and two-time All-Midwest Region choice, Jeter still holds UW-Platteville records for career field goal percentage (.601) and consecutive starts (89). Jeter was also named to the Wisconsin State University honor roll three times.
As an assistant coach, Jeter helped guide the Pioneers to a 108-6 overall record, two NCAA Division III titles and four conference championships. In addition to his coaching duties at UW-Platteville, Jeter coordinated the program's academic, recruiting and scouting efforts, and directed the Bo Ryan Basketball Camps. He also served as an associate admissions director at UW-Platteville.
In between playing and coaching at UW-Platteville, Jeter spent a season playing basketball overseas. He starred for the Olivias Futebol Clube in Portugal in 1992-93, leading the Portuguese national league in scoring.
Jeter was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on May 15, 1969, and then grew up in Chicago, Ill., as part of an athletic family. His dad, Bob, played for the Green Bay Packers and his brother, Carlton, also played basketball at UW-Platteville.
Jeter attended high school at Quigley South Preparatory School and then headed to UW-Platteville, where he earned his business administration degree in 1991. Jeter also received a master's degree in adult education from the school in December of 2001.
Jeter and his wife, Deanna, have a three-year old son, Robert, and welcomed their second child, Jonathan, in September.
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Coaching Experience
Assistant Coach, UW-Platteville, 1994-98
- Team compiled 108-6 record in his time at UWP
- Pioneers won two NCAA Division III National Championships
Assistant Coach, Marquette, 1998-99
- Team claimed win over #4 Cincinnati
Assistant Coach, UW-Milwaukee, 1999-2001
- Team posted first back-to-back plus-.500 seasons since early 1990's
- Team advanced to semifinals of league tourney for first time
Assistant Coach/Associate Head Coach, Wisconsin 2001-2005
- Badgers made four NCAA Tournament appearances
- Reached the Sweet 16 in 2003 and the Elite Eight in 2005
- Won two Big Ten regular season titles and one league tourney title
- Finished this season ranked 10th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll
Playing Experience
UW-Platteville 1987-91
- Captained team that won 1991 NCAA Division III National Championship
- Named to All-WSUC, All-Midwest Region and All-Final Four teams
- UWP record-holder for field goal percentage (.601) and consecutive starts (89)
- 1990-91 team averaged 97.4 ppg and averaged 15.8 steals per game
- Played professionally in Portugal in 1992-93, leading league in scoring
Personal
Born May 15, 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Family
Wife: Deanna; son: Robert (2); expecting another child in September
Dad, Bob, played for the Green Bay Packers
Education
B.S., business administration, UW-Platteville, 1991
M.A., adult education, UW-Platteville, 2001
