Aug. 31, 2005

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army head coach Jim Crews has added a new face to his men's basketball staff with the hiring of Kendrick Saunders as an assistant coach, the Black Knights' fourth-year mentor announced today.

Saunders arrives at West Point following a two-year stint at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md., where he was a member of Webb Hatch's staff. Last winter, the Bobcats forged a 14-12 mark. Prior to his tenure at Frostburg, Saunders spent four years as the top assistant at Hunter College in New York City, where he coordinated the team's recruiting efforts, monitored players' academic progress and managed the preseason conditioning program.

"Kendrick is a hard-working young coach who is a welcome addition to our staff and a tremendous asset to our program," Crews said. "He's acquired a diverse coaching background in a very short time. He has great energy and passion for the game of basketball, and those traits rub off on anyone who's around him for any length of time."

A 1998 graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Fla., Saunders earned a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in physical education. He played point guard and served as team captain during his senior season. Saunders embarked upon his coaching career immediately upon graduation, serving a one-year stint as girl's assistant basketball coach at his scholastic alma mater, Great Mills (Md.) High School, before moving on to Hunter College.

Saunders, an assistant coach for the Gotham City Knights of the National Rookie League during the summer of 2000, has also been a counselor at a host of summer camps, including the heralded Five-Star Camp.

Saunders and his wife, Janice, reside in nearby Highland Falls, N.Y.