Storm Names Clay Moser Club President and Head Coach

May 15, 2003 - Continental Basketball Association 2 (CBA 2)
Great Lakes Storm News Release


Birch Run, MI (May 15, 2003) The Great Lakes Storm of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) announced today that former League Office Senior Vice President Clay Moser has been named President and Head Coach of the third-year Club. Moser's two-year appointment follows a nation-wide search to find a new head coach and director of basketball operations.

"We could not be more thrilled to have Clay come join us," stated co-owner Greg Van Boxel, who will relinquish day-to-day operations upon the hiring of the new team President. "His natural leadership abilities command immediate respect when meeting with people one-on-one or speaking to large groups, and we are confident that he is the ideal person to recruit and retain players, sponsors, and fans."

Moser, who spent last season as an advance scout for former CBA head coach and current Golden State Warriors head coach Eric Musselman, brings a vast and versatile background to the task (see biography below). The former General Manager and Vice President of the Sioux Falls Skyforce and CEO and General Manager of the Idaho Stampede, possesses 20 years of experience as a coach, scout, and executive at both the collegiate and professional levels.

"We have been actively recruiting Clay Moser since we first met him in the fall of 2002," added co-owner Dr. Joseph Oesterling. "When he returned to assist us on a temporary assignment this spring, it became our mission to not let him get away again."

"We did whatever we had to do to keep him here, and thankfully we have done just that," stated Dr. Oesterling, who enters his second season as co-owner of the Storm. "Clay is meticulous in his organization and preparation, has an unparalleled work ethic, and is just the man to lead both our basketball and business operations."

As CBA League Office Vice President of Basketball Operations and Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Services, Moser re-wrote the League's Operations Manual, created the Player Agent Information Program to improve the lines of communication between the League Office and player's agents, served as Chairman of the Rules and Competition Committee, sat on USA Basketball's (USAB) Board of Director's during the 1996 Summer Olympics in which the US won gold, and served on the NBA/CBA Player Personnel Task Force Committee.

"This is the greatest challenge I have accepted in my professional career," said Moser, whose duties and responsibilities begin immediately. "To take a non play-off team to the post season and a team that finished dead last in attendance to be the thing to do in the area, was a challenge I could not pass up."

"There are only 45 professional head coaching jobs in this country and I am honored and humbled to have one of them," added the former North Carolina State University assistant coach. "I am hopeful that through hard work, I can someday join the all-time CBA greats such as Eric Musselman, George Karl, Phil Jackson and Flip Saunders on the NBA sidelines. The dream of coaching the CBA championship game in front of a packed house here at the Birch Run Expo Center is one that keeps recurring in my head. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to three mentors, Jim Valvano, Dick Stewart and Dave Retzlaff."

Industry leaders comment on Clay Moser

- "I congratulate the Great Lakes Storm on an excellent choice in Clay Moser," said Jim Tooley, current USA Basketball Executive Director and former CBA Special Assistant to the Commissioner. "Clay brings a great blend of experience to this opportunity having been involved in basketball in a variety of capacities from the coaching perspective to the business side of the sport. He will be a tremendous asset to the Storm as well as the entire league."

- "My brother would be delighted that another of his assistants has gone on and succeeded after Daring to Dream," stated Bob Valvano, brother of Coach V and the host of ESPN radio's The V Show. "Clay was a fine assistant, and has been a loyal friend of our family for many years. He has worked hard at pursuing his dream of being a professional head coach, and Jim would share my confidence he will do a terrific job in Mid-Michigan with the Storm."

- "Clay was instrumental in helping to prepare us for our opponents for the games he scouted," explained former CBA head coach and current Golden State Warriors head coach Eric Musselman, who finished second this season in NBA Coach of the Year balloting. "His passion and conscientious attention to detail are obvious in his work."

- "As an ownership group we came into the risky business of pro sports as novices, and Clay came in and smoothly and efficiently ran our team from all aspects," stated Stampede part owner Kipp Bedard, who serves as Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Boise-based Micron, Inc. "Financially this has been a great investment for my partners and me, far exceeding our expectations and we could not have done it without Clay. We know he'll be great for our friends and league partners in Michigan."

Clay Moser Biography

During the 2002-03 season, Moser performed advance scouting duties for the Golden State Warriors, the most improved team in the NBA this past season.

In the 2001-02 season, Moser took over the helm of the Treasure Valley (OR) Community College Chukars, improving wins from the previous season by 30% and posting two landmark wins for the school. A win over Utah Valley State College was the first ever after 40 tries, and a win at Ricks College was the school's first ever on that floor.

During the 2000-01 season, Idaho was leading the League with a 17-7 record, including a sterling 12-1 home mark when the League ceased operations under its ill-fated single entity structure in February, 2001.

In the Spring of 1997, ready for a new challenge, and the urge to return to the team level and the competition, Moser moved to another expansion franchise in Boise, ID as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of the Idaho Stampede, another one of the League's staple franchises. During his tenure there, the Stampede was a profitable business each fiscal year, leading the League in merchandise sales and finishing second only to Sioux Falls in season ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and total revenue, qualified for the playoffs two out of three years, and set an all-time CBA record for most NBA call-ups in a season with 10, a record that still stands today.

Moser landed the top assistant's job in 1989 with the Sioux Falls (SD) Skyforce of the CBA, then an expansion team and now considered one of the staple franchises in the CBA. Under original Skyforce owner Steve Lesnik, CEO of the Kemper-Lesnik organization, Moser was promoted from assistant coach to General Manager of the team sparking a meteoric rise in the CBA ranks as one of the League's top executives. Managing the team to profitability under Kemper-Lesnik, and later being promoted by the current ownership of Sioux Falls' beloved team, Sky's The Limit, to include a Vice President of Business Services title, Moser was recruited by then CBA Commissioner Mark Lamping, now President of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals to CBA headquarters to take over Vice President of Basketball Operations duties.

In the summer of 1987, the late great Jim Valvano summoned, and Moser joined Valvano's staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. During his two-year stint in Raleigh, Moser participated in two NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1989, while the Wolfpack finished as regular season Atlantic Coast Conference Champions in 1989 and runner's up in 1988. "The break of a lifetime", said Moser. While there, Moser was instrumental in the recruitment of 11 players, including the Phoenix Suns' Tom Gugliotta, who would go on to be the 6th overall pick in the NBA draft, be named to Dream Team III, and gain NBA All-Star status.

After playing at Fergus Falls (MN) Community College, Moser began his coaching career at the school in 1984 as head assistant coach to NJCAA legend Dave Retzlaff, where the pair guided the school to three straight Division Championships in as many years, the school's first Minnesota State Championship, first Region (XIII) championship and first ever NJCAA tournament appearance.

In addition, Moser has ample experience in Community Relations, having served on various Committees and Boards for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Red Cross, Special Olympics, Make-a-Wish, and the United Way. Moser has also worked on Hollywood productions "Eddie" starring Whoopi Goldberg and Dennis Farina and the CBS drama "Presidio Med" starring Blythe Danner, as a technical advisor on basketball scenes.

Moser has either recruited, coached, signed, drafted or traded for a total of 28 players who have been called-up to or gone on to play in the NBA over the course of his career. Following is the list of players in alphabetical order:

NBA Player Affiliation

Rafer Alston Idaho Stampede

Terrell Bell Idaho Stampede

Chucky Brown NC State

Phil Cartwright Idaho Stampede

Chris Corchiani NC State

Joe Courtney Sioux Falls Skyforce/Idaho Stampede

Quintin Dailey Sioux Falls Skyforce

Lloyd Daniels Idaho Stampede

Ben Davis Idaho Stampede

Vinny Del Negro NC State

Chris Garner Idaho Stampede

Tom Gugliotta NC State

Ernest Hall Idaho Stampede

Mitch Henderson Idaho Stampede

Brian Howard NC State

Nate Huffman Idaho Stampede

Damon Jones Idaho Stampede

Rusty LaRue Idaho Stampede

Ralph Lewis Sioux Falls Skyforce

Randy Livingston Idaho Stampede

Art Long Idaho Stampede

Tharon Mayes Sioux Falls Skyforce

Rodney Monroe NC State

Lawrence Moten Idaho Stampede

Ira Newble Idaho Stampede

Robert Pack LA Summer League

Bobby Phills Sioux Falls Skyforce

Charles Shackleford NC State/Idaho Stampede



Continental Basketball Association 2 Stories from May 15, 2003


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