DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program has hired former Baylor men's basketball Special Assistant to the Head Coach Bill Peterson as an assistant coach on its staff, fourth-year head coach Jeff Wulbrun announced on May 2.
"I am absolutely thrilled and fortunate to add Bill Peterson to our staff at DU," Wulbrun said. "He brings with him a wealth of experience that will impact our program in a myriad of ways immediately. His contributions at Baylor helped Scott Drew build a perennial Top 25 program and earn a national championship in 2021. He was renowned as a one of the best player development coaches during his eight years in the NBA with the Mavs and Bucks. He's also been a head coach in the G-League and in college basketball. He brings savvy, experience, professionalism and an incredible knowledge and understanding of the game with the ability to connect and relate to people in a welcoming and nurturing way."
In addition to the last seven seasons on the Baylor staff, Peterson's coaching career has been highlighted by eight seasons on NBA staffs, three years as a head coach for the NBA G-League's Erie BayHawks and seven years at Colorado State University.
"I am really excited to join the staff at DU," Peterson said. "I look forward to working with head coach Jeff Wulbrun and helping continue to raise the level of the program in the Summit League. Jeff and the program have made great strides in his three years and I believe the future is really bright for the Pioneers."
Peterson's seven years at Baylor included two as the Director of Men's Basketball Operations and five as the Special Assistant to Head Coach Scott Drew. In his time in Waco, the perennial top-25 program went 167-72, including 128-35 over the last five seasons. Peterson and the Bears won the national championship in 2021 to cap a 28-2 campaign.
Following a handful of collegiate coaching jobs in the early stages of his career, Peterson got his first taste of the NBA from 1998-00 as a Player Development Coach and Scout for the Dallas Mavericks and a Special Assistant to the Golden State Warriors. In his time as a player development coach and scout for the Mavs, Peterson worked to develop Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Greg Buckner and Michael Finley.
Getting back to the NBA later in his career, Peterson spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. In his time in Wisconsin, the Bucks made the Eastern Conference playoffs twice.
Peterson's pro head coaching experience came in three years as a head coach of the NBA G-League's Erie BayHawks, an affiliate of the Orlando Magic. Peterson coached the BayHawks from 2014-17.
Following his time with the Mavericks and Warriors, Peterson came back to college in his first of now two stints in Colorado, spending seven seasons as the associate head coach for the Colorado State University Rams. Peterson and the Rams made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003 after winning the program's first Mountain West Conference Tournament.
In his first two decades of coaching, Peterson was a college head coach for seven years across two different jobs. His first head coaching position came at Union (Ky.) College for four seasons from 1983-87 before three seasons at the University of Alabama-Huntsville from 1994-97.
The long-time basketball mind's coaching experience began as a student-assistant at St. Petersburg (Fla.) Junior College and as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech, where he was part of the coaching staff that developed Hall of Famer Karl Malone.
Peterson is a 1979 graduate of Eckerd (Fla.) College and earned a master's degree in physical education and human relations from Louisiana Tech. Peterson and his wife Diane are the parents of three daughters: Kati, Ginny and Hailey.
Bill Peterson Coaching Timeline
1978-79 – St. Petersburg (Fla.) Junior College - Student Assistant
1980-83 – Louisiana Tech - Graduate Assistant
1983-87 – Union (Ky.) College - Head Coach
1987-94 – McNeese State – Assistant Head Coach
1994-97 – University of Alabama Huntsville - Head Coach
1997-98 – Bossier Parish (La.) Community College – Assistant Head Coach
1998-99 – Golden State Warriors – Special Assistant
1999-00 – Dallas Mavericks – Player Development Coach and Scout
2000-07 – Colorado State University – Associate Head Coach
2007-13 – Milwaukee Bucks – Assistant Coach
2014-17 – Erie BayHawks – Head Coach
2017-19 – Baylor University - Director of Men's Basketball Operations
2019-24 – Baylor University – Special Assistant to the Head Coach
2024 – University of Denver – Assistant Coach
