Vance Walberg

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Vance Walberg

| nickname =

| image = Vance Walberg 2024.jpg

| width =

| caption = Walberg in 2024

| league = Mountain West Conference

| current_record = 18–45 ({{winpct|18|45}})

| team = Fresno State Bulldogs

| position = Head coach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|07|09}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| high_school = {{nowrap|Monta Vista (Cupertino, California)}}

| college = *De Anza (1974–1976)

Cal State Bakersfield (1976–1978)

| coach_start = 1978

| coach_end =

| cyears1 = 1978–1981

| cteam1 = Mountain View HS

| cyears2 = 1981–1983

| cteam2 = Los Altos HS

| cyears3 = 1984–1989

| cteam3 = Newark Memorial HS

| cyears4 = 1989–2002

| cteam4 = Clovis West HS

| cyears5 = 2002–2006

| cteam5 = Fresno CC

| cyears6 = 2006–2008

| cteam6 = Pepperdine

| cyears7 = 2008–2011

| cteam7 = UMass (assistant)

| cyears8 = {{nbay|2012|full=y}}

| cteam8 = Denver Nuggets (assistant)

| cyears9 = {{nbay|2013|start}}–{{nbay|2014|end}}

| cteam9 = Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)

| cyears10 = {{nbay|2014|end}}–{{nbay|2015|end}}

| cteam10 = Sacramento Kings (assistant)

| cyears11 = 2016–2024

| cteam11 = Clovis West HS

| highlights =

| cteam12 = Fresno State

| cyears12 = 2024–present

}}

Vance Patrick Walberg (born July 9, 1956) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Mountain West Conference. He was previously an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine University, and an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. He is known for developing the dribble drive motion offense, sometimes known as the Memphis Attack, AASAA offense.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=258992 |title=Sporting News – Real Insight. Real Fans. Real Conversations |access-date=October 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225061036/http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=258992 |archive-date=December 25, 2007 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/02/12/memphis0218/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218175115/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/02/12/memphis0218/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 18, 2008 | work=CNN | title=SI.com – Fast and Furious – Feb 12, 2008 | date=February 12, 2008}}

Early life

Walberg graduated from Monta Vista High in Cupertino, California in 1974, where he was the team's Most Valuable Player in winning a league championship. He spent two seasons at De Anza Community College, where he won two conference championships and finished as the school's all-time steals leader. He then went to Cal State Bakersfield for the next two years, and was named the school's Defensive Player of the Year twice and served as team captain.

Coaching career

Walberg became head coach of Mountain View (Calif.) High at age 22. He also served as badminton coach at James Logan High School (1983–84) and head basketball coach at Los Altos High School (1981–83). Walberg then became the head coach at Newark (Calif.) Memorial High School for five seasons (1985–89), winning one league title on two trips to the championships. In 1990, he embarked on a 13-year tenure as head coach at Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif. In 1997, he had his Clovis West High team adopt his AASAA offense, leading to a 159–18 five-year record.

Walberg's stint at Fresno City College (2002–06) had his team going 133–11 on more than 100 points a game, leading to a 2005 California state community college title.{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/02/12/memphis0218/5.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218185119/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/02/12/memphis0218/5.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 18, 2008 | work=CNN | title=SI.com – Fast and Furious – Feb 12, 2008 | date=February 12, 2008}} He was named California Community College Coach of the Year twice (2003 and 2005) and was Central Valley Conference Coach in every season he coached there.

He became the Pepperdine head coach in April 2006. On January 17, 2008, Walberg resigned from Pepperdine, citing family issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.pepperdinewaves.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/011708aaa.html|title=Vance Walberg Resigns as Basketball Coach|publisher=Pepperdine University|access-date=January 30, 2017|date=January 17, 2008}}[https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=3201198 Citing personal and family reasons, Walberg resigns from Pepperdine – Men's College Basketball – ESPN] Walberg would later reveal that health issues and the death of his mother were major contributing factors to his resignation at Pepperdine.{{cite web|url=http://www.clovisroundup.com/the-coaching-life-of-vance-walberg-sliding-doors-the-dribble-drive-and-what-matters-most/|title= The coaching life of Vance Walberg: sliding doors, the dribble-drive and what matters most |author=Meadors, Paul|work=Clovis Roundup|date=July 20, 2016|access-date=January 27, 2016}}

On May 5, 2008, he officially joined head coach Derek Kellogg's staff at UMass.{{cite web|url=http://www.umassathletics.com/news/2008/5/5/Kellogg_Names_Four_To_Men_s_Basketball_Staff_At_UMass.aspx|title=Kellogg Names Four To Men's Basketball Staff At UMass|publisher=UMass Athletics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508231622/http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/050508aaa.html|archive-date=May 8, 2008|access-date=January 30, 2017|url-status=live}} He served on the UMass staff for three seasons.{{cite web|title=Men's Basketball Announces Staff Changes|url=http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110211aaa.html|publisher=UMass Athletics|access-date=November 2, 2011|date=November 2, 2011}}

Walberg spent time with the Denver Nuggets in the 2011–2012 season. In October 2012,

George Karl announced that Walberg officially joined the Nuggets' staff as an assistant coach.{{cite news| url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/nuggets/2012/10/03/denver-nuggets-add-vance-walberg-fascinating-hoops-mind-staff/7082/|title=Denver Nuggets add Vance Walberg | work=Denver Post|access-date=March 13, 2018}}

On February 23, 2015, it was announced that Walberg would reunite with George Karl on the Sacramento Kings' coaching staff as an assistant coach. On February 17, 2016, he was fired by the Kings.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-announce-coaching-staff-change|title=Kings Announce Coaching Staff Change|work=NBA.com|date=February 17, 2016|access-date=February 17, 2016}}

On July 20, 2016, Walberg returned to Clovis West High School as varsity boys' basketball head coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/high-school/prep-basketball/article90947377.html|title= Vance Walberg returns as Clovis West boys basketball coach |author=Giannandrea, Nick|work=Fresno Bee|date=July 20, 2016|access-date=January 30, 2017}}

On April 6, 2024, multiple news outlets reported that Walberg has been hired as the new men's basketball coach at Fresno State, becoming the 20th head coach in program history.

Personal

Walberg has a physical education degree from Cal-State Bakersfield in 1978, a teaching credential from the College of Belmont in 1979 and a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Saint Mary's College in 1986. He and his wife, Rose, have four children.