July 8, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The University of Virginia has named Jeff House as an assistant women's basketball coach, head coach Debbie Ryan announced on Friday.

"I am thrilled to be joining a great coaching staff at the University of Virginia," House said. " The academic prestige of the university, the rich basketball tradition Debbie Ryan has built, and the power of the ACC are such great opportunities for me. I look forward to doing whatever I can to help this program continue its great success."

House joins the Cavaliers after more than 20 seasons of coaching basketball. Currently the top assistant coach with the WNBA's Washington Mystics, House will finish out the 2005 WNBA season before moving to Charlottesville. House replaces Tim Taylor who stepped down last month after five seasons.

"We are obviously very pleased and proud that Jeff has decided to join our program," head coach Debbie Ryan said. "He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game of basketball to our players and coaching staff. Jeff will be instrumental in developing our players this year and in the future. He will definitely help us in our quest for a national championship."

Prior to joining the Mystics, House spent seven seasons as a member of the New York Liberty staff where he was instrumental in the team's run to the 1999, 2000, and 2002 WNBA Eastern Conference Championships, four appearances in the Eastern Conference Championship series, and three appearances in the WNBA finals. House initially joined the Liberty in 1998 as the video coordinator and advance scout after spending the 1997-98 season as a member of the New York Knicks' game night video staff. In January 1999, House was appointed full-time assistant coach/video coordinator with the Liberty.

House played basketball at Nazareth College before suffering a career-ending injury. He immediately jumped into the coaching realm, beginning his coaching career at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, N.Y., while he was an undergraduate. At McQuaid, he served as an assistant to former Knicks and current Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy in 1985. In 1986, House was a key component to McQuaid's run to the Class B, Section 5 New York State Championship.

A 1987 graduate of Nazareth College, House earned a bachelor's degree in art education. He also received a master's degree in teaching, guidance and counseling from Jacksonville University in 1991.

Following the receipt of his master's degree, House spent the next decade honing his skills as an assistant coach, including three seasons (1989-91) at the University of Lowell as an assistant to current Miami Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy and four seasons (1992-95) as an assistant coach at Rutgers University with Bob Wenzel. While at Rutgers in 1995, House served as head coach for the People-to-People Sports Holland All-Star Tour. He directed a combination of Big East, Atlantic 10, and Big Ten All-Stars to a 6-1 record, losing only to Holland's National Champions.

House is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. He serves as president and on-court director of House's HOOP Headquarters, a basketball skills and development company he created in 1996.

House is also an active member of the community. While in New York, he worked closely with the Cheering For Children Foundation and The After School Corporation (TASC). He has also served as a regional presenter and coaching instructor for the New Jersey Special Olympics. House participates with the WNBA Read to Achieve program and the Jr. WNBA/NBA coaching clinics.

House and his wife Ann Leonard-House, the head women's volleyball coach at Rutgers University, have two children- daughter Elizabeth (5) and son Thomas (2).

More Jeff House quotes:
On leaving the WNBA:
"Debbie Ryan is a legend in our profession. Very few coaches have enjoyed the success that Debbie has. I have considered many opportunities to coach in college over the years, and it had to be a special situation for me to leave Richie (Adubato), Linda (Hargrove), Marynell (Meadors), and the Mystics players. I found that special situation at Virginia."

On finishing the season with the Mystics:
"Michael Adams and Linda Hargrove gave me a wonderful opportunity, then we made it even more special by bringing Richie back into the mix. I will always be grateful for that opportunity. The players, coaches, and the entire organization are truly wonderful people. I am anxious for the second half of the season, our push to the WNBA playoffs, and our ultimate goal of competing for the WNBA Championship."

Jeff House's Biography-at-a-Glance
COACHING & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2005-	University of Virginia, assistant coach
2005	Washington Mystics, assistant coach
2005 	NBA-TV, basketball analyst/Game of the Week
	in the NBDL
2004 	NBA-TV, basketball analyst/WNBA playoff preview
1999-04 New York Liberty, assistant coach
1998 	New York Liberty, video coordinator advance scout
1997-98 New York Knicks, video operations assistant
1996-	HOOP Headquarters, president
1993-97	Rutgers University, assistant coach
1991-93	Jacksonville University, assistant coach
1988-91 University of Lowell, assistant coach
1987-88 Elmira College, assistant coach
1985-86 McQuaid Jesuit HS (N.Y.), assistant coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1981-83 Southwestern HS
1983-84 Nazareth College
COLLEGE
Nazareth College
B.S. in Art Education, 1987
Jacksonville University
M.A. in Teaching, Guidance & Counseling concentration, 1992