Arizona Wildcats add Mark Phelps to basketball staff

The University of Arizona announced the hire of Mark Phelps as an assistant basketball coach Monday.

Phelps, who spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant for Steve Wojciechowski at Marquette, replaces Damon Stoudamire after the latter left to join Josh Pastner’s staff in Memphis.

“Mark Phelps and I have known each other since 1996, when we started working together at NC State,” Arizona head coach Sean Miller said. “Since then, Mark has been the head coach at Drake University and worked as an assistant coach in some of the most competitive conferences in college basketball, including the Pac-12.

“He is a person of high character, an excellent teacher of the game and a relentless recruiter. He represents the ‘total package’ as an assistant coach. I am excited to add him and his family to our staff and the future of Arizona basketball.”

Phelps was the head coach at Drake from 2009-13, leading the school to 77 wins and two postseason appearances.

“My family and I are very excited to join the Arizona basketball family,” Phelps said. “The elite reputation of this university and of Wildcat basketball is recognized across the country. Having previously coached in the Pac-12, I have a unique vantage point on how special this program is.

“I am grateful to Sean Miller and Greg Byrne for this tremendous opportunity. I’m very much looking forward to reuniting with Sean and joining his outstanding staff. I have great respect and admiration for the longstanding, rich basketball tradition at UA and for the significant accomplishments of Coach Miller and his players over the last six years. It will be an honor for me to give everyone in this program my absolute best each and every day.”

Before becoming the head coach at Drake, Phelps had been an assistant at Missouri, Drake, NC State and Arizona State.