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Zac Claus

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Zac Claus
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamWestern Colorado Mountaineers
ConferenceRMAC
Biographical details
BornNovember 1974 (age 50)
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Playing career
1993–1994Creighton
1996–1998Eastern Washington
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998–1999Nebraska Wesleyan (JV/assistant)
1999–2000Austin College (assistant)
2000–2002Portland State (assistant)
2002–2005Sacramento State (assistant)
2005–2015Nevada (assistant)
2015–2019Idaho (assistant)
2019–2023Idaho
2023–presentWestern Colorado
Head coaching record
Overall28–89 (.239)

Zachary Arthur Claus (born November 1974) is an American basketball coach who was most recently head coach of the Idaho Vandals men's basketball team.

Playing career

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Claus played college basketball at both Creighton and Eastern Washington.[1] He also spent a year at Nebraska, but did not appear in any games for the team.[2]

Coaching career

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After his playing career, Claus began coaching first at then-NAIA Nebraska Wesleyan as an assistant coach and junior varsity head coach. He moved on to Austin College before two assistant coaching stops in Division I at Portland State and Sacramento State.[3] In 2005, Claus joined Mark Fox's staff at Nevada, where he'd stay for the next 10 seasons under both Fox and David Carter. In that span, the Wolf Pack captured three-straight WAC regular-season titles and made three appearances in the NCAA tournament.[4]

After Carter's firing from Nevada, Claus joined Don Verlin's staff at Idaho. Verlin was placed on administrative leave and subsequently fired from Idaho after the school concluded he had committed NCAA violations, and the school named Claus the interim head coach in June 2019.[5][6] On February 25, 2020, Idaho lifted the interim tag and gave Claus the full-time job.[7][8]

Claus was fired on February 27, 2023, after Idaho finished the regular season 10–21.[9] Claus had an overall 28–88 record in four seasons.[10]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Idaho Vandals (Big Sky Conference) (2019–2023)
2019–20 Idaho 8–24 4–16 11th
2020–21 Idaho 1–21 1–17 11th
2021–22 Idaho 9–22 6–14 T–8th
2022–23 Idaho 10–21 4–14 10th
Idaho: 28–88 (.241) 15–61 (.197)
Total: 28–88 (.241)

      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

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  1. ^ "Zac Claus College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  2. ^ "Zac Claus - Head Coach - Staff Directory". University of Idaho Athletics.
  3. ^ Murray, Chris (February 25, 2020). "Ex-Nevada assistant Zac Claus gets Idaho's full-time head-coaching job". Nevada Sports Net.
  4. ^ "Zac Claus - Men's Basketball Coach". University of Nevada Athletics.
  5. ^ "Idaho fires men's basketball coach Don Verlin after he was placed on administrative leave | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com.
  6. ^ Tribune, DALE GRUMMERT Lewiston. "Idaho fires Don Verlin as head coach after 11-years". Idaho Press.
  7. ^ "Idaho men's basketball coach Zac Claus has interim tag removed | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com.
  8. ^ "Zac Claus Named Head Coach of Vandal Men's Basketball". University of Idaho Athletics.
  9. ^ "Idaho Athletics Announces Leadership Change for Vandal Men's Basketball". University of Idaho. February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  10. ^ "Zac Claus". NCAA. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
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