GENE IBA
Head Coach     

     Gene Iba is in his 13th season as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State University.
     Known for his ability to revive dormant programs and turn them into contenders, Iba has awakened a Gorilla basketball program and reestablished it prominently in the thick of the NCAA Division II national scene.
     Iba, 67, became PSU's 13th head basketball coach on July 5, 1995. At that time, only three players remained in a .500 program -- just three players returning to a program that had produced a total of seven winning seasons in the previous quarter century.
     Thirteen years later, Iba now directs one of the most successful teams in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and the South Central Region of NCAA Division II.
     The Gorillas have made five trips to the NCAA-II National Tournament during his tenure.
     Iba wasted little time in staking the Pitt State program onto the Division II national scene, leading the Gorillas to a 24-8 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in just his second season on campus in 1996-97.
     Two more 24-win campaigns followed with the Gorillas making the NCAA's Round of 32 each year. In the 1998-99 campaign, PSU won 18 straight games, and 22 of its first 23 games, to rise from an unranked squad all the way to the No. 1-ranked team in the country in mid-February. The Gorillas went on to capture their first conference championship in a quarter century, finishing the season with a 24-5 overall record.
     In 2000-01, Coach Iba's squad recorded its fourth 20-win season in a five-year span, finishing with a 21-9 overall record. The Gorillas overcame an 0-3 start to the season to win 18 of their next 23 games to get into NCAA-II Tournament contention before a costly home loss to Southwest Baptist derailed PSU's postseason aspirations.

Milestones Abound
     During Coach Iba's tenure, PSU has enjoyed several milestones.
     Coach Iba reached his 300th career victory with a 67-64 road win against Central Missouri on Jan. 13, 1999.
     He notched his 400th career victory on March 5, 2004, in the first round of the MIAA Tournament with an 84-76 win against Central Missouri and Iba logged career win No. 450 in a dramatic 76-70 win against Northwest Missouri in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament on March 3, 2007.
     Pitt State also celebrated its 250th all-time win at John Lance Arena in a 84-82 win against Missouri Western on Feb. 2, 2000, and the Gorillas registered win No. 300 in their home venue in a 95-86 decion against Central Missouri on Jan. 29, 2005.
     Coach Iba also directed Pitt State to a school-record 40 straight home wins between Jan. 10, 1997 and Feb. 22, 1999 and he led the Gorillas to 18 straight wins and the program's first No. 1 NCAA ranking on Feb. 15, 1999.
     The five trips to the NCAA-II National Tournament have marked PSU's first ever trips to the NCAA postseason, after the school thrived between the 1930s and 1960s as an NAIA power.
     Under Iba, Pitt State has notched an impressive 224-127 (.637) record during the past 12 seasons.

A Chronology of Success
     The steady success Iba's squads have enjoyed the past 12 seasons almost obscures the tremendous leadership he provided in building the Gorillas' foundation for success during his initial season at the PSU helm.
     With only two part-time starters returning from a 13-13 team, Iba was called upon to mesh new talent with PSU's returnees to contend in the nationally-competitive MIAA for the 1995-96 season.
     He did just that.
     The team rose out of obscurity in the second semester, following a 3-7 start to the season. By January, the team had developed a winning chemistry. Iba's Gorillas notched a 69-65 upset victory against eighth-ranked Northwest Missouri at John Lance Arena on Jan. 13.
     The upsets continued to mount.
     Pittsburg State, picked by the MIAA coaches to finish last in the 12-member conference in the preseason poll, continued to stun its league opposition.
     Another upset of Northwest Missouri -- this time on the Bearcats' home floor -- helped the Gorillas finish in a six-way tie for third place in the MIAA.
     Despite posting a 3-1 record against MIAA co-Champions Northwest and Missouri-Rolla (which advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA-II National Tournament), PSU drew the No. 8 seed in the MIAA Tournament and a return trip to Maryville, Mo.
     Undaunted, Iba's group proceeded to upset the nationally-ranked Bearcats for the third straight time, posting a dramatic 101-98 overtime victory.
     The Gorillas advanced to the tournament semifinals for just the second time in PSU's seven seasons as a league member. This time, Central Missouri held off a late Gorilla charge and PSU's season came to an end with a 66-62 setback.
The Gorillas' winning tradition, though, had quickly returned under the first-year coach… and it carried over to the next year.
     In 1996-97, the Gorillas fed off their previous taste of success. PSU won six of its first seven games in '96-97 and earned its first national ranking in five years. The Gorillas posted a pair of conference victories in the first semester and went to the Christmas break with an 8-2 record.
     The Gorillas then parlayed their early success into continued victories in MIAA competition. The Gorillas opened the second semester with a pair of important conference road wins. PSU went on to post a school-record 14-4 record in the MIAA, finishing a game behind Washburn for the MIAA Championship.
     The Gorillas earned their first home berth in the MIAA Tournament and notched a pair of wins at John Lance Arena (over Truman State and Missouri Western) before falling to Washburn at Topeka for the tournament title. It marked the first time a PSU squad had reached the finals of the MIAA Tournament.
     The Gorillas took a 22-7 record into Selection Sunday, March 2, when PSU received word that it had been selected to compete in the South Central Region of the NCAA-II National Tournament.
     PSU then made a strong showing in the national tournament. The Gorillas posted a 72-70 victory against MIAA rival Missouri Western, beating the Griffons for the fourth time that season and posting the school's first-ever NCAA-II postseason victory.
     PSU then notched an incredible 90-84 upset of fourth-ranked Central Oklahoma, stunning the favored Bronchos and advancing to the Regional Final against Texas A&M-Commerce.
     The Gorillas' bid to reach the Elite Eight came up a game short, in a down-to-the-wire 89-83 loss to TAMUC, but Gorilla basketball had deservedly earned a measure of new-found respect.
     PSU's 24-8 record marked the program's most successful year since 1956. All five members of the Gorillas' starting unit earned some form of All-MIAA honors and Coach Iba appropriately was named the MIAA's Co-Coach of the Year.
     The Gorilla machine rolled on in Iba's third campaign. PSU raced out to a 12-0 start to the '97-98 season and vaulted as high as No. 9 in the nation.
     MIAA rival Washburn snapped the Gorillas season-opening win streak at Topeka on Jan. 7, but Pitt State returned the favor with a dramatic 75-72 win against the Ichabods at Pittsburg on Jan. 31, snapping a 10-game losing streak in the series.
     PSU appeared poised to claim its first ever MIAA regular season title, but the Gorillas fell victim to injury down the stretch. PSU lost the services of 6-10 center Javier Velazquez to a knee injury late in an 82-71 win against eventual MIAA Co-Champion Missouri Western.
     The Gorillas had to settle for a 22-4 regular season finish, including a 12-4 MIAA mark. A final-second loss at MIAA co-Champion Northwest Missouri (76-70) on Feb. 11, left the Gorillas to finish a game out of first place in the MIAA standings.
     Northwest again put a damper on PSU's season with a 79-70 win in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament, after Iba's squad had dispatched of Central Missouri (85-67) in first-round action.
     But, Iba's squad earned a third shot at the Bearcats when the two teams were selected to meet in the first round of the NCAA-II National Tournament at Canyon, Texas. This time, the postseason-savvy Gorillas got the better of the Bearcats.
     PSU jumped all over Northwest in the early goings, then had to withstand a furious second-half rally to preserve an 85-70 victory. The win put the Gorillas in the regional semifinals against the host school, West Texas A&M.
     The Buffalos needed a hot shooting night to cool off the Gorillas. WTAMU shot a blistering 69 percent from the field, but couldn't put PSU away until the final minutes of the game, halting the Gorillas' season at 24 wins, six losses.
     In 1998-99, Iba's squad treated the Gorilla faithful to yet another season to remember. The Gorillas raced out of the gates, winning 22 of their first 23 games, including 18 in a row at one point.
     Pitt State started the winning streak with an emphatic 105-77 win against 16th-ranked Central Oklahoma on Nov. 27. Pitt State then enjoyed a pair of firsts -- road wins against UCM (67-64) on Jan. 13 and WU (76-70) on Jan. 30.
     The Gorillas punctuated the winning streak with a 76-67 win against 17th-ranked Missouri Western at John Lance Arena on Feb. 6.
     By Feb. 15, Pitt State had surged to the top of the Division II national rankings, assuming the No. 1 ranking in the country following an 89-75 win against Lincoln.
     The Gorillas' party was interrupted that night, though, by a determined Truman State team that posted a 75-64 win at Kirksville in a makeup game (due to inclement weather) from Jan. 2.
     That didn't stop the Gorillas from bouncing back with a 67-61 win over Southwest Baptist on Feb. 17. The victory gave PSU a share of its first ever MIAA regular season title.
     The Gorillas, who earned the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament, then dispatched Missouri-Rolla in the first round of the conference tournament, winning their 40th straight game at John Lance Arena.
     In spite of the streak and the energy of one of the top 10 crowds in the country, the Gorillas dropped a 76-74 decision to Truman State in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament.
     Still, PSU's 23-3 regular season record and No. 10 ranking in the final poll was enough to earn the Gorillas the No. 2 seed in the South Central Regional of the NCAA-II National Tournament.
     After earning a bye into the regional semifinals, PSU met up with a gritty Abilene Christian squad and the Wildcats took a 79-59 victory over the Gorillas, ending PSU's season at 24-5 overall.
     PSU senior guard Oscar Gonzalez was named the MIAA's MVP, while forward Dan Stanley was named the MIAA's Freshman of the Year. For the second time in his four-year tenure, Coach Iba was recognized by his peers as MIAA Co-Coach of the Year (sharing the honor with Jack Shrader of TSU).
     In 1999-2000, Coach Iba directed a relatively inexperienced PSU squad to a 16-13 overall record. PSU posted a 12-2 record at John Lance Arena but was unable to win enough key road games to remain among postseason contention.
     The Gorillas did notch a 75-67 road win against Missouri Western in the first-round of the MIAA Tournament before falling to eventual national runner-up Missouri Southern (96-85) in the conference tournament semifinals two nights later to bring their season to an end.
     In 2000-01, Coach Iba meshed nine newcomers with three returning starters. The result: PSU's fourth 20-win season in five years.
     Pitt State overcame an 0-3 start to the season at the Disney Tipoff Classic to win 18 of its next 23 games to climb into postseason contention.
     In 2001-02, the Gorillas enjoyed a 17-10 season which was highlighted by home wins against Missouri Southern and Washburn, which both qualified for the NCAA-II Tournament the previous year.
     In 2002-03, the Gorillas opened the season with seven straight wins, but injuries befell PSU and the team faded down the stretch with a 16-12 overall record. It was a season of near misses for PSU, as the Gorillas lost eight games in which the outcome was decided in the final half-minute.
     In 2003-04, the Gorillas posted an 18-11 overall record before bowing out in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament.
     Pitt State, which defeated then No. 1-ranked Washburn, 77-72, on Jan. 28, suffered four losses in which the games were decided by three or less points to turn what could have been another 20-win season into a near miss.
     In 2004-05, Iba directed Pitt State to a 23-7 record. This marked the fifth time the Gorilla mentor directed the squad to a 20-win season.
     Pitt State posted a 13-5 MIAA record, finishing one game out of the conference regular season title.
The Gorillas bowed out in the first round of the MIAA Tournament, but PSU's 22-6 record earned the Gorillas a berth to the NCAA-II South Central Regional.
     Pitt State advanced to the Round of 32 with a 73-59 victory over St. Mary's in the NCAA-II first round, but the Gorillas' season came to a halt the next day in a 65-59 overtime loss to to eventual NCAA-II semifinalist Tarleton State.
     In 2005-06, the Gorillas battled an aggressive schedule and a plethora of painful single-digit losses to post a 9-19 overall record. Pitt State qualified for the MIAA Tournament, but made a first-round exit to end the season.
     Last year, Iba led the Gorillas back to the NCAA postseason for a fifth time in school history thanks to a late-season surge that ended with an 18-13 record.
     Pitt State overcame the sting of five regular season losses that were decided by a combined 15 points by posting a pair of upset wins in the first two rounds of the MIAA Tournament.
     By winning eight of 11 games down the stretch, Pitt State found itself in the NCAA-II Tournament field on Selection Sunday, hours after a hard-fought 59-56 loss to eventual national semifinalist Central Missouri in the MIAA Tournament Finals.
      The Gorillas, who had advanced to at least the Round of 32 in each of their subsequent four tournament berths, dropped a 74-53 decision to Northwest Missouri in the first round of the NCAA-II Tournament to end the season.

The Iba Background
     Pitt State's steady success should come as no surprise to those associated with Coach Iba. Success has followed him in each of his previous assignments, as he developed winning programs for both of his predecessors -- Baylor and Houston Baptist.
     At Baylor, Iba posted a 98-107 record in seven seasons with the Bears (1985-92).
     In just his second season at Waco, he led Baylor to an 18-13 record and an NIT post-season berth -- the program's first post-season appearance in 38 years. He followed that with a 23-11 campaign in 1987-88, guiding the Bears into the NCAA post-season.
     That two-year span marked the most wins in any successive two-year period in Baylor basketball history.
     The '87-88 campaign also marked the third-highest single season win total that Baylor has enjoyed.
     In 1989-90, Baylor posted a 16-14 mark and again qualified for the NIT. Iba was named the Southwest Conference and the NCAA District VI Coach of the Year. Nearly 40 percent (3-of-8) of Baylor's all-time post-season appearances came during Iba's tenure.
     Prior to his seven-year stint at Baylor, Iba built a highly-competitive program from the ground up at Houston Baptist. In eight years at HBU, Iba posted a 128-96 (.571) record, winning 18 or more games four times.
     In 1977-78, his first season as a collegiate head coach, Iba inherited a Houston Baptist program that had only three returning scholarship players from a team that had a combined 11-44 record in its previous two years. Three seasons later, HBU enjoyed a winning year, going 14-13 in '79-80.
     In '80-81, HBU posted an 18-10 mark, earning Iba Trans American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors.
     Two years after that, in '83-84, Iba's Huskies posted a school-record 24-7 mark, capturing the TAAC regular season and post-season tournament championships, earning a spot in the March madness.
     HBU led the nation in field goal percentage (.552) that year and was seventh nationally in scoring defense.
     The next year, Iba's final season at HBU, the Huskies notched a third straight 20-win campaign, going 21-8 overall in '84-85.
     Iba moved to Houston Baptist after serving five seasons as Hall of Famer Don Haskins' only assistant at the Texas-El Paso. In Iba's five years ('72-77) at UTEP, the Miners were 85-45 with an NCAA appearance in '75.
     In 1973, Iba coached the Mexican National Student Team at the World University Games and led that group to it's second-highest finish ever in international competition.
     From 1969-72, Iba was the head coach at St. Louis' Roosevelt High School. In 1972, his final season at Roosevelt, Iba's team posted a 20-6 mark and won the city championship.
     Before moving to Roosevelt, the native of nearby Joplin, Mo., was athletic director one year ('69) at St. Louis' Cleveland High School.
     Iba earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1963 from Tulsa University. While working on his master's degree in business education at Oklahoma State University, he served as a graduate assistant coach for his legendary uncle, Henry "Hank" Iba.
     Gene and his wife Sandy have three daughters: Debbie, Erin and Kelly. The couple make their home in Pittsburg.