A final touch-up to the offseason makeover of the Oregon State men’s basketball team comes in the form of a new assistant coach.

Jeff Reinert left the program after five seasons to become the associate head coach at Fresno State and was replaced by Jerome Francis, Jr.

Francis was the head coach at Prairie View A&M for three years and most recently was an assistant at Nebraska two seasons ago.

Reinert’s move was announced at a press conference at Fresno on Tuesday afternoon, and the Francis hire was made official in the morning.

“Anytime you lose someone who has been part of something, it’s difficult,” coach Jay John said. “Jeff has made major contributions here. We all worked together and it was good. We’ll miss him. But we’re in a profession where we deal with the unexpected, and it’s a matter of keeping going. And the transition will be as smooth as possible.”

Reinert left the Beavers for a promotion and to work with an old friend, Steve Cleveland. They knew each other when Cleveland was the Brigham Young coach and Reinert was in charge down the road at Utah Valley State from 1994-2002.

When John was hired at OSU, he brought in Reinert to be the big man coach. He enjoyed his time here, but had been looking to advance his career and become a head coach again.

“It’s for an associate head coach job, and that’s one step away from being a head coach, which is what I want to be again,” Reinert said. “This is a good move professionally. It was a good time for my wife in her job. And my daughter is still young.”

Reinert will miss the program he helped develop. He was looking forward to working with the team’s post players, C.J. Giles, Calvin Hampton and Roeland Schaftenaar.

“It was a hard decision because I did have roots and friends,” Reinert said. “And I really like the direction of the program with the moves that were made.”

Francis was a post player for Ohio State and graduated in 1991 with an education degree. He was a four-year starter who helped the Buckeyes reach the postseason each season, and ranks among the program’s leaders in points, assists, steals and games played.

He went on to be an assistant coach working with interior players at Bowling Green (1992-93), Butler (1993-94), Ohio State (1994-97), Ball State (1997-2000) and Houston (2000-02).

John and OSU assistant Kevin Mouton crossed paths with Francis when they were assistants at Butler. Mouton was instrumental in bringing Francis to Corvallis.

“I know his personality and know how he connects with people,” John said. “He will connect easily with our guys. It’s a good fit. He’s an outstanding big man coach. It was a home run all the way around.”

Francis was the head coach of Prairie View A&M from 2002-05. He won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in his first season, guiding the team to its first regular season title in 40 years.

His next stop was the interior coach for Nebraska for one season. He was successful there but coach Barry Collier left to be an athletic director at Butler. That left Francis available immediately for the Beavers,.

“I was looking for a specific situation,” Francis said. “I understand coaching jobs can change, and I was looking for a staff with a family atmosphere. And with my past relationship with coach John and coach Mouton, that’s what made it work.”

Francis uses a blue-collar work ethic in his coaching. The only promise he made is to make his players go hard all the time, which is how a small program such as Prairie View A&M found success under his guidance.

Since he played the position and has been coaching it all his career, he talks about teaching the intricacies of the interior game to the Beavers.

John is already dispatching him on the road to recruit this weekend. The Beavers are working on next year’s class and need big men.

This is the first departure of an assistant under John in his five seasons. Brian Loyd and Mouton remain, with no indication they are leaving.

“It’s pretty unique to have a staff together for five years,” John said. “I feel blessed to have the same guys around that long. But when there’s something different, it awakens things with new ideas from other coaches. Like I said before, we are in the midst of a makeover.”

-30-

REINERT’S CAREER

Year School

• 1987-88 Simpson College (assistant)

• 1988-89 Simpson College (assistant)

• 1989-90 Nebraska (assistant)

• 1990-91 Nebraska (assistant)

• 1991-92 Brigham Young (assistant)

• 1992-93 Brigham Young (assistant)

• 1993-94 Brigham Young (assistant)

• 1994-95 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 1995-96 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 1996-97 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 1997-98 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 1998-99 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 1999-2000 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 2000-01 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 2001-02 Utah Valley State (head coach)

• 2002-03 Oregon State (assistant)

• 2003-04 Oregon State (assistant)

• 2004-05 Oregon State (assistant)

• 2005-06 Oregon State (assistant)

• 2006-07 Oregon State (assistant)

• Head coaching record: 179-77 at Utah Valley State

FRANCIS’ CAREER

Year School

• 1992-93 Bowling Green (assistant)

• 1993-94 Butler (assistant)

• 1994-95 Ohio State (assistant)

• 1995-96 Ohio State (assistant)

• 1996-97 Ohio State (assistant)

• 1997-98 Ball State (assistant)

• 1998-99 Ball State (assistant)

• 1999-2000 Ball State (assistant)

• 2000-01 Houston (assistant)

• 2001-02 Houston (assistant)

• 2002-03 Prairie View A&M (head coach)

• 2003-04 Prairie View A&M (head coach)

• 2004-05 Prairie View A&M (head coach)

• 2005-06 Nebraska (assistant)

• Head coaching record: 29-55 at Prairie View A&M