Fresno St. Names Colson Basketball Coach

Gary Colson, former Pepperdine and New Mexico basketball coach who was an assistant at California the past two seasons, was appointed head coach at Fresno State Monday.

Athletic Director Gary Cunningham named Colson to succeed Ron Adams, who resigned with two weeks left in the season. Adams had a 42-69 record in four years as the Bulldogs’ coach.

Colson, 55, is credited with playing a key role in revitalizing the offense at Cal, which made it to the NCAA tournament this year for the first time since 1960. The Bears beat Indiana in a first-round game, 65-63, then lost to third-ranked Connecticut, 74-54.

Colson is the nation’s 12th-winningest active coach with a record of 487-312.

Colson was coach at Valdosta State in Georgia for 10 seasons, starting in 1958-59, went to Pepperdine for 11 seasons, starting in 1968-69, and then was at New Mexico for eight seasons, starting in 1980-81.

He was forced to resign at New Mexico by former athletic director John Koenig, who resigned himself shortly thereafter in the midst of allegations of wrongdoing.

New Mexico went 22-14 in 1987-88, Colson’s last season there, and was ranked 18th after a 14-3 start. But a late-season slump cost the Lobos an NCAA tournament berth. They went to the tournament the previous season.

Colson arrived at New Mexico in 1980, after a scandal that involved FBI wiretaps as part of a gambling investigation. Uncovered, among other things, were fake transcripts for junior college transfers. Coach Norm Ellenberger was convicted of 21 counts of providing false public vouchers.