FSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT ACCEPTS DIVISION I OPPORTUNITY

Justin Rees Appointed To Assistant Coaching Position At University Of Maine

The 32-year old Rees, who assisted with the program’s administrative, coaching and recruiting responsibilities, spent five years as an assistant coach under Bulldog head coach Tracey Dorow (formerly Bloodworth-Fisk). He helped guide the Bulldogs to their first two wins in NCAA Division II Tournament history during the 2006-07 campaign. Rees also directed FSU's women's basketball summer camps, was responsible for overseeing the recruiting operation, worked with low-post players on the court and assisted with perimeter individual skill workouts. He also organized all defensive scouting reports.

At Maine, Rees will serve on first-year head coach Cindy Blodgett's staff and serve as the Black Bears' recruiting coordinator in addition to various on-court coaching responsibilities.

"Justin Rees is dedicated to the game of basketball and being an educator," Blodgett said. "He knows coaching can make a big difference in a student-athlete's life, so he takes his role as a mentor very seriously.

"He's young, energetic, and excited about being here," she added. "He's very aware of where we're heading as a program and he is excited for the challenge."

Rees began his FSU coaching career in 2002-03 and was instrumental in leading the Bulldogs to only their second-ever NCAA-II National Tournament appearance and a second-place Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division finish the following season (2003-04).

Last season (2006-07), the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history and were ranked 25th nationally in the final 2006-07 USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll with Rees as the program's lone full-time assistant. FSU posted a school-record 23 wins (23-9) last campaign while advancing to the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championship Game for the first time. The Bulldogs, who prior to this year had never won a NCAA Tournament game, recorded back-to-back wins in their first two national tournament contests en route to the regional runner-up finish. Ferris also compiled a second-place tying 13-5 GLIAC regular-season finish and earned the program's eighth consecutive GLIAC Tournament bid in his final season with the Bulldogs.

Prior to coming to Ferris State, Rees previously served as an assistant coach for three seasons (1999-2002) at NCAA Division II Post in Waterbury, Conn. In addition to his coaching duties at Post, Rees also was the school’s equipment manager. The Eagles concluded the 2001-02 campaign with an 8-18 mark under third-year head coach Paul Ebbs after finishing the 2000-01 season at 13-14 overall and a earning a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference playoff berth.

Prior to his appointment at Post, Rees worked in the broadcast industry. From 1997-1999, he was the producer and co-host of “Champions of Talk,” a locally-syndicated radio talk show in Melbourne, Fla. Rees also worked as a board operator and public service announcement director at WMEL-Radio in Melbourne from 1997 to 1998. He was a broadcast technician and studio camera operator at WTNH-TV in New Haven, Conn., from March to October 2000.

The 6-8 Rees was a four-year letterwinner at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla., where he competed in men’s basketball from 1993-1997. While at Barry, Rees compiled 312 points and 248 rebounds while starting 15 games in 102 career appearances. He graduated from Barry in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications. The Buccaneers were 68-41 overall during his career and posted a school-best 9-5 Sunshine State Conference mark in 1996-97.

As a prepster, Rees was a two-time (1991-1993) team Most Valuable Player Award winner at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Rees, a two-year (1991-93) team captain, earned all-district and all-state honorable mention accolades as a senior while garnering county all-star honors under head coach Scott Cromwell. He led the Eagles in both field goal percentage and rebounds three consecutive seasons and was named to the 1992 Kreul Classic All-Tournament Team, which featured some of the top players in the country.

A 1993 Majory Stoneman Douglas graduate, Rees is the son of Don and Robyn Rees of Palm Bay, Fla., and has one brother, Alan.