Appalachian State has gone back to the future by hiring Buzz Peterson, who previously coached the Mountaineers from 1996 to 2000, compiling a 79-39 record in four seasons. The Mountaineers hope he can help turn the program around again after Peterson led an 8-20 team to a conference championship by 2000. He left the team to become head coach at Tulsa and later coached at Tennessee and Coastal Carolina. A university press release mentions more of Peterson’s accomplishments.
In his four years at ASU, he was twice named SoCon Coach of the Year (1998 and 2000) and mentored seven all-conference honorees.
He left the college game in 2007 to become the Director of Player Personnel for the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats won a franchise-record 35 games in 2008-09.
Prior to accepting his first head-coaching position at ASU in 1996, Peterson spent nine seasons as an assistant coach, with stints at ASU (1987-89), East Tennessee State (1989-90), NC State (1990-93) and Vanderbilt (1993-96). The teams that he served as an assistant coach for made four postseason appearances (two NCAA, two NIT) and were a combined 154-117.
