Ernie Nestor | |
Birth Date: | 19 August 1946 |
Player Years1: | 1968 |
Player Team1: | Alderson–Broaddus |
Coach Years1: | 1970–1976 |
Coach Team1: | John D. Bassett HS |
Coach Years2: | 1976–1979 |
Coach Team2: | James Madison (assistant) |
Coach Years3: | 1979–1985 |
Coach Team3: | Wake Forest (assistant) |
Coach Years4: | 1985–1988 |
Coach Team4: | California (assistant) |
Coach Years5: | 1988–1993 |
Coach Team5: | George Mason |
Coach Years6: | 1993–2001 |
Coach Team6: | Wake Forest (assistant) |
Coach Years7: | 2001–2003 |
Coach Team7: | South Carolina (assistant) |
Coach Years8: | 2003–2009 |
Coach Team8: | Elon |
Coach Years9: | 2009–2010 |
Coach Team9: | New Jersey Nets (scout) |
Coach Years10: | 2010–2011 |
Coach Team10: | Penn State (assistant) |
Coach Years11: | 2011–2012 |
Coach Team11: | Missouri (assistant) |
Coach Years12: | 2012–2017 |
Coach Team12: | Navy (assistant) |
Overall Record: | 135–198 |
Tournament Record: | 0–1 (NCAA Division I) |
Championships: | CAA tournament (1989) SoCon North Division (2006) |
Awards: | SoCon Coach of the Year (2006) |
Ernie Nestor (born August 19, 1946[1] [2]) is an American college basketball coach, formally an assistant coach at the University of Missouri. Head coach Frank Haith named Nestor to this post in April, 2011.[3] He was formerly the head coach of the Elon University and George Mason men's basketball teams.[4] Nestor, a native of Philippi, West Virginia,[1] [2] was a long-time assistant at Wake Forest University, including an eight-year stint for head coach Dave Odom. He has also been on the coaching staffs of California, James Madison and South Carolina during his career.[3]
Nestor began his head coaching career at John D. Bassett High School in Bassett, Virginia, where he coached from 1970 to 1976.[5] For 14 seasons (1979–1985, 1993–2001) Nestor served as a Wake Forest assistant; Odom was the head coach during his second of two stints.[3] [6] The Demon Deacons won two Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament titles (1995 and 1996),[6] and reached the final eight of the 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in his time there.[3] In addition, the team won the National Invitation Tournament in 2000.[6] The U.S. 1996 William Jones Cup team was coached by Nestor.[1] [3]
From May 12, 1988[7] to March 8, 1993,[8] Nestor was head coach at George Mason University.[4] [6]
In 1989, George Mason gained an NCAA Tournament berth under Nestor by winning the Colonial Athletic Association's postseason tournament; it was the first NCAA Tournament participation for the program.[9] After losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Indiana, the Patriots finished the year 20–11.[10] The 1990 team also reached the 20-victory plateau.[11] He resigned after five years and a 68–81 record at George Mason before joining Odom on his staff at Wake Forest in 1993.[6] [12]
Nestor's 2008 Elon team, the seventh seed in the Southern Conference postseason tournament, made it to the finals, where Davidson defeated them.[3] [4] In 2009, he resigned (or was fired[13]) after six seasons at the helm for Elon.[4] He served as a scout for the NBA's New Jersey Nets from 2009 to 2010 before returning to the college ranks as Director of Basketball Operations for Penn State for the 2010–11 season.[14]
After one season, Nestor left the Missouri program[15] to take an assistant coaching position at Navy.[16]