The Arizona Wildcats have hired Ball State assistant coach Danny Peters to the same position, the program announced Tuesday.
This will be Peters’ second stint in Tucson. He was a graduate manager for two years starting in 2010, then spent two more years as assistant director of basketball operations.
”I am very excited to return to the University of Arizona,” Peters said in a statement. ”To be a part of the Arizona program is truly a coaching honor, and it is a tremendous opportunity that I jumped at. I’m ecstatic to be a part of Coach Miller’s staff and the tremendous Tucson community around this great university again.”
Peters oversaw Arizona’s video scouting efforts and was responsible for the organization, breakdown, scouting and presentation of game film. The Wildcats were 113-22 with Peters on staff, including two Elite Eights.
“It was apparent to me then, he had the skills to become an excellent coach one day,” Arizona head coach Sean Miller said in a statement.
While at Arizona, Peters developed a relationship with then-assistant James Whitford, who had been on Miller’s coaching staff at Xavier and Arizona from 2009-13.
Whitford became the head coach at Ball State in 2013, and he hired Peters as an assistant coach in 2014. Peters is responsible for scouting opponents’ defenses.
Whitford and his coaching staff managed to rebuild a Ball State program that went 5-25 in 2013-14, to a program that has won at least 19 games and finished with over a .500 record in the Mid American Conference in each of the last three years.
“Danny’s ability to connect with players, his on-the-court coaching acumen and his relentless nature as a recruiter was paramount to their program’s success,” Miller said.
Peters was a four-year walk-on at Ohio State under Thad Matta.
Arizona still has one more assistant coaching vacancy to fill, as it has to replace both Book Richardson and Lorenzo Romar this offseason.
We are excited to welcome Coach Danny Peters back to the #APlayersProgram family!
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) April 10, 2018
Coach Miller on Coach Peters pic.twitter.com/HBGtNqWddb
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