Ernie Nestor
Ernie Nestor (born August 19, 1946[1][2]) is an American college basketball coach, formally an assistant coach at the University of Missouri. Head coach Frank Haith named Nestor to this post in April, 2011.[3] He was formerly the head coach of the Elon University and George Mason men's basketball teams.[4] Nestor, a native of Philippi, West Virginia,[1][2] was a long-time assistant at Wake Forest University, including an eight-year stint for head coach Dave Odom. He has also been on the coaching staffs of California, James Madison and South Carolina during his career.[3]
Nestor began his head coaching career at John D. Bassett High School in Bassett, Virginia, where he coached from 1970 to 1976.[5] For 14 seasons (1979–1985, 1993–2001) Nestor served as a Wake Forest assistant; Odom was the head coach during his second of two stints.[3][6] The Demon Deacons won two Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament titles (1995 and 1996),[6] and reached the final eight of the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in his time there.[3] In addition, the team won the National Invitation Tournament in 2000.[6] The U.S. 1996 William Jones Cup team was coached by Nestor.[1][3]
From May 12, 1988[7] to March 8, 1993,[8] Nestor was head coach at George Mason University.[4][6]
In 1989, George Mason gained an NCAA Tournament berth under Nestor by winning the Colonial Athletic Association's postseason tournament; it was the first NCAA Tournament participation for the program.[9] After losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Indiana, the Patriots finished the year 20–11.[10] The 1990 team also reached the 20-victory plateau.[11] He resigned after five years and a 68–81 record at George Mason before joining Odom on his staff at Wake Forest in 1993.[6][12]
Nestor's 2008 Elon team, the seventh seed in the Southern Conference postseason tournament, made it to the finals, where Davidson defeated them.[3][4] In 2009 he resigned (or was fired[13]) after six seasons at the helm for Elon.[4] He served as a scout for the NBA's New Jersey Nets from 2009 to 2010 before returning to the college ranks as Director of Basketball Operations for Penn State for the 2010–11 season.[14]
After one season, Nestor left the Missouri program[15] to take an assistant coaching position at Navy.[16]
College head coaching record
| Season |
Team |
Overall |
Conference |
Standing |
Postseason
|
| George Mason Patriots (Colonial Athletic Association) (1988–1993)
|
| 1988–89 |
George Mason |
20–11[5] | – | | NCAA First Round[17]
|
| 1989–90 |
George Mason |
20–12[18] | – | |
|
| 1990–91 |
George Mason |
14–16[19] | – | |
|
| 1991–92 |
George Mason |
7–21[8] | – | |
|
| 1992–93 |
George Mason |
7–21[8] | – | |
|
| George Mason: |
68–81[1] (.456) | – (–) |
|
| Elon Phoenix (Southern Conference) (2003–2009)
|
| 2003–04 |
Elon |
12–18[20] | 7–9[20] | T–3rd (North)[21] |
|
| 2004–05 |
Elon |
8–23[22] | 5–11[22] | 4th (North)[23] |
|
| 2005–06 |
Elon |
15–14[24] | 10–4[24] | 1st (North)[25] |
|
| 2006–07 |
Elon |
7–23[26] | 5–13[26] | 5th (North)[27] |
|
| 2007–08 |
Elon |
14–19[28] | 5–11[28] | 4th (North)[29] |
|
| 2008–09 |
Elon |
11–20[30] | 7–13[30] | 5th (North)[31] |
|
| Elon: |
67–117[4] (.364) | 39–61 (.390) |
|
| Total: | 135–198 (.405) | |
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion |
References