Bubba Wells to return to Govs basketball as new assistant coach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sp-05 BK/bk 6/8/225
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.-- The leading scorer in Austin Peay State University men's basketball history is
coming back to campus.
Charles "Bubba" Wells, the 1997 Ohio Valley Conference "Player of the Year" and two-time OVC "Male
Athlete of the Year" who gained national attention for his miraculous return from a leg stress fracture, will
return to the Governors basketball program as a full-time assistant to Dave Loos. He replaces Tony Collins,
who left in the spring to become head coach at his alma mater, Virginia State.
Wells, who battled assorted leg problems throughout his college and professional careers, has chosen
to take a different route with his basketball future--coaching.
"This is the next step for me," Wells said. "Some of the coaches I have played for in the last few years
have told me this is what I needed to do (in the future). Playing is tough to give up but I am ready to take that
step and this is the place where I wanted to start.
"When I first signed my (scholarship) papers coming out of high school, I said then this was the place I
wanted to be and I am back again?I am starting my coaching career at the place I want to be."
"We are excited about Bubba coming back here to begin his coaching career," APSU coach Dave Loos
said. "Bubba accomplished great things while he was here and that is something he will be able to bring to the
table. Things young prospective students want and aspire to, most of them Bubba accomplished as a college
player and he did those things at Austin Peay. We think he will be able to sell our basketball program and our
university."
Considered by many the most popular player in OVC history, Wells finished his career with 2,267
points--the first APSU player to reach 2,000 points--ranking him third all-time in the OVC. He was a three-
time first-team All-OVC choice after being named the league's "Freshman of the Year" in 1993-94. Wells was
the 1997 OVC "Player of the Year" and the 1996 and 1997 OVC "Male Athlete of the Year." He also was two-
time Tennessee Sportswriters College Basketball "Player of the Year."
Wells jersey (13) was retired Jan. 22, 1998 and he was inducted into the APSU Athletics Hall of Fame,
Feb. 8, 2003.
As a senior he was named third-team Preseason All-America by Athlon Magazine and all-district by
both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He was
named to the Basketball Times All-South team.
As a sophomore, Wells averaged 19.3 ppg and followed that up with a 26.3 ppg (third in nation) in
1995-96, earning the OVC Tourney MVP in leading the Govs to a championship and NCAA tournament
appearance. Wells still owns several OVC tournament records.
But it was his senior year that drew nationwide attention. He missed the season's first 12 games with a
stress fracture in his left tibia, requiring surgery to place a tibial nail in the lower leg. He had undergone similar
surgery following the 1994-95 season, needing some five months to rehabilitate.
However, this time the rehab process took less than five weeks and in his debut game, he scored 39
points in 28 minutes. As a result, the performance and the surgery were featured in "USA Today." He went on
to become the nation's unofficial scoring leader (he did not have enough games played to qualify for the
official title), averaging 31.7 ppg, scoring 30 or more points 11 times including three 40-point games.
His performance also caught the attention of "The Los Angeles Times" in a front-page story about "The
Man of Steel" and segments on both CBS NCAA College Basketball "At the Half" and a seven-minute
feature--the "Real Rod Man"--on NBC's "Today" show.
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Bubba Wells to return to Govs basketball as new assistant coach--add one
For his career, Wells averaged 21.6 ppg, 7.1 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the floor.
He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the 1997 draft and played one season
before being traded to the Phoenix Suns and then to the Chicago Bulls. A torn achilles tendon and other leg/
groin injuries slowed his professional career, although he played in the Philippines and the Euro League in
Greece for two seasons. He then played for the Harlem Globetrotters the last two years.
Now Wells is going to use his playing experience at the coaching level.
"I learned about the game at many levels and around the world from several coaches and believe I
have a lot to give back to the game," Well said. "There are some things I have learned from my experiences
that they (the players) may not know but will know when they leave here."
First and foremost, at least initially, Wells will be taught the recruiting aspects of the job. In fact, he will
begin his new position July 1 and almost immediately will hit the road for the summer recruiting process.
"Obviously, he will have to familiarize himself with the recruiting guidelines and rules?he also will have
to pass the certification test so he can recruit," Loos said. "Then he will spend the month of July on the road
so he will get on-the-job training. I think he will have a good rapport with the kids. He knows the wants and
needs of young players out there and they will identify with him and Bubba with them.
"I think he will able to identify those guys out there who have their basketball ahead of them?I think
that will be a strength of his. We have been more successful than developing players than signing guys that
are fully developed and ready to go. Bubba was one of those guys and I think he can tell them from
experience what it takes and how to do it."
On the floor, Wells will be working with the post players?he was one of the nation's best post-up
players during his APSU career.
"I think I have a lot of things I can teach the post players?I learned even more things after I left here,"
Wells said. "I played with A.C. Green (at Dallas) and he couldn't get five inches off the floor but he taught me
a lot of things and some moves. I think I have a few tricks that can help these guys out with."
Loos is confident Wells will be a great addition once again to the APSU program.
"It is certainly a different side of basketball?once I knew he was serious about turning the page (on
playing) and getting into coaching is when I got serious about hiring him," Loos said. "I look forward to helping
him learn the college game from the coaching side."