Bobcats Announce Portion Of Coaching Staff

Bobcats Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bernie Bickerstaff announced Monday that Buzz Peterson has accepted an offer to become the Bobcats Director of Player Personnel. Bickerstaff also announced that Dell Curry and Paul Mokeski will be added to Sam Vincent’s coaching staff for the 2007-08 season, joining Phil Ford, Lee Rose and Jeff Capel on the Bobcats bench.

Another basketball operations staff appointment was made today, as former Bobcats assistant coach John Outlaw was named Player Programs/Director of Pro Player Personnel.

“We are committed to building a winning organization from the top down” Bickerstaff said. “In Buzz, we’ve hired a guy who has a natural feel for the game and knowledge that will benefit our coaching and scouting staff.

Bickerstaff continued to say that adding Curry and Mokeski will benefit the Bobcats young group of players. “With their individual on-court experiences, it can only help accelerate the growth of our team.’

Peterson will be the Bobcats top evaluator of on-court talent, both internally and externally, around the NBA and college ranks. He joins the organization after serving as head coach at Coastal Carolina for the past two seasons. Peterson directed the Chanticleers to the program’s first winning season in 12 years after posting a 20-10 record during the 2005-06 season.

Prior to his tenure at Coastal Carolina, Peterson held college head coaching positions at the University of Tennessee, University of Tulsa and Appalachian State University, compiling an overall coaching record of 201-134. Peterson began his coaching career as an assistant at Appalachian State before joining Les Robinson’s staff at East Tennessee State for one year and later moving with Robinson to North Carolina State for the next three years. He also served as associate head coach at Vanderbilt for one season.

As a player, Peterson was a Parade and McDonald’s All-American at Asheville High School and was named North Carolina’s Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year in 1981. During his four years as a collegian at the University of North Carolina, Peterson helped the Tar Heels to a 115-22 mark, four Atlantic Coast Conference championships, one ACC Tournament title and four appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was a part of UNC’s 1982 national championship team and was voted the outstanding senior by his teammates following the 1984-85 season.

Curry is a 16-year NBA veteran who played 10 seasons in Charlotte for the Hornets. In 1,083 career games, he averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting .457 from the field and .843 from the charity stripe. He is ranked 22nd on the NBA’s all-time list for three-point field goal percentage (.402) and 17th with 1,245 made three-pointers. The 1993-94 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award winner began his Bobcats tenure in October of 2003 as director of basketball relations before moving into the role as director of player development. This will mark Curry’s first stint as an NBA assistant coach.

Mokeski joins the Bobcats coaching staff after most recently serving as an assistant coach with the National Basketball Association’s D-League affiliate Fort Worth Flyers. Prior to his one-year stint in Fort Worth, he spent five seasons with the Dallas Mavericks in a dual role as player development coach and advance scout. Mokeski also spent three years as head coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the United States Basketball League (USBL) and a additional three years as an assistant coach on the CBA and college level. A 12-year NBA veteran, Mokeski played for five different teams, including the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks.

Outlaw has been with the Bobcats organization since its inception. He will use his 37-plus years of NBA, NFL and collegiate administrative, playing and coaching experience to provide guidance and help players develop life skills, both professionally and socially. He will also assist them with plans for life after basketball. Outlaw spent seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets, two with the Washington Wizards, two with the USBL’s St. Louis Storm and three with the Bobcats. He also enjoyed an 11-year NFL career as a cornerback with the New England Patriots (1968-73) and Philadelphia Eagles (1973-79). Following his playing career, Outlaw served as defensive coordinator at North Carolina Central University for 11 seasons and, while there, served as director for the National Youth Sports Program.