Provo • One of the worst-kept secrets since Mark Pope was hired as BYU’s new men’s basketball coach a few weeks ago was revealed on Wednesday afternoon as Cody Fueger, Chris Burgess and Nick Robinson were named BYU assistant coaches.
“I couldn’t be more excited about having put together this staff,” Pope said in a school news release. “This group is so capable and they check every box that I require of my assistant coaches: they’re loyal, they’re exceptionally competent at player development on the court and relationship building off, they’re 24/7 guys and they all have ambitions of growing in this profession and becoming head coaches.”
Fueger is the most familiar with BYU, having served as former coach Dave Rose’s director of basketball operations in 2014 and 2015. The Cougars made it to the NCAA Tournament both years.
“Cody is a true veteran of coaching, having coached at the college level for the last 17 years in every region of the country,” Pope said. “He’s had experience in the highest levels of basketball, has recruited all around the world and has been mentored by some of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. Cody has a magical way of coaching players really hard while building strong relationships that last beyond their tenure under his tutelage.”
Fueger and Burgess helped UVU improve from 12 wins in 2015-16 to a program-record 25 victories in 2018-19. With Fueger and Burgess on the staff, the Wolverines made three-straight postseason appearances (2017, 2018, 2019) and registered back-to-back 20-win seasons (2017-18, 2018-19) – both UVU records.
Fueger was instrumental in the development of several Utah Valley players who earned all-league honors, including the 2019 WAC Player of the Year, Jake Toolson, who is reportedly transferring to BYU as a graduate-transfer student.
Burgess, who played collegiately for Duke and Utah, is known for developing big men. He helped centers Akolda Manyang and Wyatt Lowell earn postseason honors the past two years.
“Chris was one of the most highly touted recruits out of high school, played in a national championship game at Duke and was coached by one of the most fundamentally sound coaches at Utah in Rick Majerus,” Pope said. “He pulls from his own personal experiences as a collegiate athlete and extensive experience as a professional career to not only teach these young men the fundamentals of the game but to also help them grow as a players and people.”
Robinson played at Stanford and was most recently an assistant under Jim Hayford at Seattle. He has also coached at Stanford, LSU and Southern Utah.
“Nick and I have been good friends since we entered this business,” Pope said. “He had an extraordinary career as a college player and student at Stanford where he won at a high level. He’s had extensive experience at Stanford, LSU, Southern Utah, William Jewel and Seattle and is a true student of this game. He’s passionate about mentoring these student-athletes and helping them reach their potential.”
Robinson helped the Cardinal to a 92-34 record, four trips to the NCAA Tournament, Pac-10 regular season and tournament championships and a No. 1 national ranking during the 2003-04 season. He served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons.
Robinson graduated from Stanford in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in sociology. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil.
