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Team Contact Information:
Denver Nuggets
1000 Chopper Circle
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 405-1100
Basketball Staff:
Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke
Vice President of Basketball Operations: Mark Warkentien
Vice President of Player Personnel: Rex Chapman
Vice President of Team Development: Josh Kroenke
Vice President of Media and Player Development: Tomago Collins
Advisor to the Vice President of Basketball Operations: Greg Knight
Advisor to the Nuggets: Bret Bearup
Executive Vice President, Kroenke Sports: Paul Andrews
Sr. Vice President of Finance, Kroenke Sports: Mark Waggoner
Vice President/General Counsel: Stephen Stieneker
For all KSE executives' bios: CLICK HERE
Head Coach: George Karl
Assistant Coach: Adrian Dantley
Assistant Coach: Tim Grgurich
Assistant Coach: John Welch
Assistant Coach / Advance Scout: Chad Iske
Assistant Coach / Player Development: Jamahl Mosley
Player Development Coach: Stacey Augmon
Player Development Coach: Larry Mangino
Director of Scouting: Mike Bratz
Scout: Herb Livsey
Director of Quantitative Analysis: Dean Oliver
Head Video Coordinator: Nate Anderson
Advance Scout: Jesse Mermuys
Athletic Trainer / Travel Coordinator: Jim Gillen
Assistant Coach / Strength and Conditioning: Steve Hess
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Strength and Conditioning Assistant: Matt Friia
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Strength and Conditioning Assistant: Dan Shimensky
Equipment Manager: Sparky Gonzales
Director of Media Relations: Tim Gelt
Media Relations Manager / Website Coordinator: Dan Tolzman
Media Relations Intern: Alex Kaufman
Media Relations Intern: Alan Rakowski
Director of Team Services & Broadcast Relations: Tim Dixon
Communications Specialist: Aaron Lopez
Director of Basketball Administration: Lisa Johnson
Basketball Operations Coordinator: Amy Yuratovac
Director of Team Security: Bobby Simmons
Massage Therapist: Leonti Vintskevich
Team Doctor: Dr. Steve Traina
Team Doctor: Dr. Gary Jemell
Internal Medicine: Dr. Saurabh Mangalik
Team Dentist: Dr. Adam Liberman
Team Chef: Michael Osterman
BASKETBALL OPERATIONS BIOS
E. Stanley Kroenke
Owner & Governor, Kroenke Sports Enterprises, LLC
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The Nuggets have returned to prominence with a remarkable turnaround this decade and are one of only four NBA teams to make the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, including last season’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals.
Since taking control of the Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Pepsi Center, Mr. Kroenke has been widely recognized as one of the top owners in professional sports, as well as a strong and committed leader throughout the community.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises, Mr. Kroenke’s Denver-based company, also owns Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth. His teams have hosted the 2001 NHL All-Star Game, the 2004 and 2009 NLL All-Star Games, the 2005 NBA All Star Game and the 2007 MLS All-Star Game, bringing some of the world’s most famous athletes to Denver.
KSE’s dedication to success has been evidenced by the consistent playoff runs of its teams. The Avalanche has made the playoffs in 11 of its 13 seasons in Denver and defeated the New Jersey Devils in June 2001 to win the Stanley Cup, the second in franchise history. The Mammoth, which has made the playoffs in each of its seven seasons, won the NLL championship in 2006.
In February 2007, Mr. Kroenke purchased a significant stake in Arsenal FC. He owns more than 28 percent of London’s storied football club. The initial investment came months after KSE and the Colorado Rapids formed a landmark marketing and strategic partnership with the famed club of England’s Barclays Premier League. The relationship has been further strengthened by the completion of KSE’s acquisition of 50 percent shareholding in Arsenal Broadband Limited. In September 2008, Mr. Kroenke was appointed to the Arsenal board as a non-executive director.
Under Mr. Kroenke’s direction, KSE has completed some of the company’s most ambitious projects to date. On April 7, 2007 KSE opened the largest soccer-specific complex in the world, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The state-of-the-art sports facility is situated on more than 160 acres in Commerce City, Colo., and seats 18,000 fans for field sports and up to 27,000 people for concerts. The award-winning field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park has been heralded as “one of the finest pitches in the world” by numerous international players and coaches that have played at the complex. In November 2008, the stadium hosted Colorado’s first-ever World Cup qualifier.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park also includes 24 surrounding playing fields for youth and adult recreational sports such as soccer, lacrosse and rugby. The complex anchors the 917-acre Prairie Gateway site that is a public-private partnership between Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Commerce City. The site also hosts the Commerce City municipal hall, retail facilities, offices for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a visitors’ center for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, among other entities. The project has created hundreds of jobs in the community and is expected to generate thousands more as the growth continues.
In September 2004, Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network began operation, becoming the new television home for the Avalanche, Nuggets, Mammoth and Rapids. Altitude also features other professional, collegiate and high school sporting events, as well as outdoors and lifestyle programming, entertainment and community interest coverage from throughout the Rocky Mountain West.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises purchased Paramount Theater, a historic landmark in downtown Denver, in July 2002. The venerable theatre remains a vibrant, multi-event facility where Denver’s residents and visitors enjoy a wide variety of entertainment options each year. Jointly, Pepsi Center and Paramount Theater are home to more than 250 events annually, ranging from world renowned concerts such as Madonna, Celine Dion and U2, to family shows, dance productions and charitable events.
As one of the most respected owners in professional sports, Mr. Kroenke’s commitment to excellence has been obvious inside and outside of Pepsi Center since his arrival. Substantial amounts have been invested in improvements and additional attractions to enhance the entertainment experience for every visitor to the property.
In August of 2008, Pepsi Center played host to the Democratic National Convention. Tens of thousands of delegates, journalists, volunteers and patrons descended on Denver and Pepsi Center for the Convention.
The landmark event ranks as one of the most important in KSE and Colorado history. Millions of people around the world watched the Convention, which city officials estimated boosted the local economy by nearly $270 million. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper went on to add, “Our expectations were definitely exceeded.”
Mr. Kroenke’s enthusiasm and vision ensure that Denver will continue to be the top entertainment destination in the Rocky Mountain region for generations to come. Local media outlets have consistently named Mr. Kroenke one of the most significant people in the Denver arts and entertainment community, saying, “No other person entertains more people more often.”
One of KSE’s primary focuses has always been the Colorado community and civic causes. More than $15.5 million in contributions have been made to Colorado charities through Kroenke Sports Charities and the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche Community Funds.
A native Missourian, Mr. Kroenke’s emergence as a member of the St. Louis Rams’ ownership was critical in the effort to return professional football to St. Louis in 1995. Under his guidance, the Rams flourished as Super Bowl XXXIV Champions and Super Bowl XXXVI runner-ups.
Mr. Kroenke is chairman and owner of THF Realty and The Kroenke Group, private real estate investment and development companies with properties located throughout the United States and Canada. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as one of the nation’s leading real estate developers. One of the largest ranch property owners in North America, Mr. Kroenke’s ownership stakes also includes the Screaming Eagle and Jonata vineyards.
Mr. Kroenke’s current and former board and trustee memberships include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Central Bank Holding Company, Boone County National Bank, Community Investments Partnership of St. Louis, the College of the Ozarks, and the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame. He is a member of St. Louis’ Civic Progress, which provides support and leadership for various community improvements that promote economic development, education and quality of life. In February 2009, Mr. Kroenke was enshrined into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Kroenke holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Ann, have a daughter, Whitney, an award winning documentary film producer, and a son, Josh, an executive with the Denver Nuggets.
Mark Warkentien
Vice President of Basketball Operations
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During his tenure, the Nuggets have made numerous transactions while maintaining a high level of success. Included are the acquisitions of fourtime All-Star Chauncey Billups and the up-andcoming J.R. Smith, as well as signing two-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony to a contract extension and re-signing Nenê.
In 2008-09, the Nuggets claimed the Northwest Division title, tied a team record with 54 wins and made their third ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Denver has qualified for the postseason for six-straight seasons - joining Dallas, Detroit and San Antonio as the only NBA teams to have done so.
Before making the move to Denver, Warkentien spent the previous 14 seasons in the NBA working in various capacities in the front office. He spent the 2004-05 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers as Director of Player Personnel and served as interim General Manager. Prior to moving to Cleveland, he worked for 10 years with the Portland Trail Blazers. In ’03-04, he served as Director of Player Personnel after spending the previous five seasons as Assistant General Manager. He spent his first season in Portland as a scout followed by three seasons as the team’s Director of Scouting. He began his NBA career with the Seattle SuperSonics, aiding the team as a scout from 1991-94. Since arriving in the NBA, Warkentien has never experienced a losing season.
Prior to joining the Sonics, he worked for 11 years in basketball operations at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, where he teamed with current Nuggets assistant coach Tim Grgurich. At UNLV, Warkentien served as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator as well as assistant athletic director. He helped build UNLV’s team that went on to win the NCAA Championship in 1990.
He began his coaching career at Riverside City College and at Saddleback College before taking the reins of the women’s program at UC-Riverside. Warkentien then returned to his alma mater, Cal-State Fullerton, as an assistant coach for two seasons and spent one year on the coaching staff at UC-Irvine before joining the staff at UNLV.
Warkentien, 55, is a 1976 graduate of Cal-State Fullerton and a native of Huntington, Ind. He and his wife, Maureen, have two daughters, Kreigh and Aubrie.
Rex Chapman
Vice President of Player Personnel
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During his tenure, the Nuggets have made three-straight playoff appearances. Most recently they collected the 2009 Northwest Division title while posting a team record tying 54 wins. Chapman has helped reshape the Nuggets roster, while maintaining a high level of success.
During the 2008-09 season, Chapman aided in the acquisition of four-time All-Star Chauncey Billups as the Nuggets went on to post the second-best record in the Western Conference (54-28) and advance to the Western Conference Finals for only the third time in team history.
Prior to joining the Nuggets, Chapman spent the 2005-06 season as a key member of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ front office. Before moving to Minnesota, he was a scout and later Director of Basketball Operations for the Phoenix Suns. With the Suns, he played an important role in luring free agent – and subsequent two-time MVP – Steve Nash back to the club.
Chapman played in 679 games in his 12-year NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Bullets, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. Originally the No. 8 overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft by the expansion Hornets, he scored 9,731 points (14.6 ppg) and made 805 three-pointers in his career before retiring following the 1999-00 season. Chapman remains tied for the NBA record for 3FG makes in a playoff game (9). He was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team in 1989, and finished third in the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a part of All-Star Weekend.
He spent two seasons at the University of Kentucky before making himself eligible for the NBA Draft, after receiving All-American Honors in 1988. He was a consensus High School All-American and was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky at Owensboro Apollo High School.
Basketball is definitely in his bloodlines. His father, Wayne played for the Nuggets franchise (then known as the Denver Rockets) in the ABA in 1970-71.
Following his playing days, Chapman served as a commentator for TNT during the 2004 and 2005 NBA Playoffs.
Chapman and his wife, Bridget, have a one son, Zeke (16) and three daughters: Caley (15), Tatum (10) and Tyson (8).
Josh Kroenke
Vice President, Team Development
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After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in financial management, he completed a six-month internship with the NBA’s League Office working in their Player Development Department. Upon finishing his internship, Kroenke worked as an underwriter for Lehman Brothers in their Global Real Estate Group where he assisted with the debt underwriting and securitization of numerous commercial real estate transactions.
Kroenke was rated a top 50 player nationally in high school according to several scouting services and helped lead the Rock Bridge High School Boys’ basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the state of Missouri as a junior. Kroenke received a full basketball scholarship to the University of Missouri, where he was named Academic All-Big XII First Team and selected team captain as a junior and senior.
Away from the Nuggets, Kroenke is involved in several charitable entities, including the Todd Peglow Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Missouri. He is also a major supporter of the Playing For Change Foundation, which is operated by his sister, Whitney, and benefits children worldwide through the building of schools that specialize in the teaching of music and arts.
Tomago Collins
Vice President, Media & Player Development
Tomago Collins is entering his seventh season with Kroenke Sports Enterprises and his second in the Denver Nuggets front office. He oversees the Nuggets media relations and NBA-mandated player programs departments. He is involved in most aspects of basketball operations, including personnel, finance, marketing and business decisions. He also works closely with KSE executives and ownership on strategic planning.
Collins moved to Denver in 2003 to help launch Altitude Sports & Entertainment, the KSE-owned parent network of the Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.
Prior to joining KSE, Collins worked as sports copy editor and features columnist for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal, and lead writer and editor for CNN International. He also served as an advisor to numerous college coaches and professional athletes. Collins is a graduate of Yale College and is active in several education reform initiatives. He currently serves on the boards of the Playing for Change and Colorado I Have A Dream foundations.
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In just 4½ seasons, Karl’s 225 wins are already the second-most by a coach in Denver’s NBA history, while his .611 winning percentage is unmatched. His run of five-straight postseason appearances is the second-longest in Nuggets history to Doug Moe’s nine-consecutive (1982-90). Denver joins Dallas, Detroit and San Antonio as the only teams in the NBA to make six-straight playoff appearances.
The 10th-winningest coach in NBA annals, Karl has amassed 933 wins in his 21 seasons in the NBA. In fact, of the nine men ahead of him on the all-time wins list, only four: Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan have a better winning percentage. He has also notched 72 career playoff victories, good for 12th all-time.
This past season, Karl guided the Nuggets to arguably the best season in team history. With an overall record of 54-28, Denver claimed the Northwest Division title and tied the team record for most wins in a season. With 54 wins, the Nuggets registered their second-straight 50-win campaign, making Karl the first coach in the team’s NBA history to post back-to-back 50-win seasons. In addition, Karl recorded his 17th-straight non-losing season, third only to Pat Riley (19, 1981-02) and Phil Jackson (18, 1989-present) in NBA history. In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Karl coached the No. 2 seeded Nuggets to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since the 1984-85 season before falling to the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
In 2007-08, Karl and the Nuggets posted their first 50-win campaign since 1987-88, matching their third-highest win total in the team’s NBA history (50).
In 2006-07, Karl led the Nuggets to a 45-37 mark, including a franchise-record 22 road wins. Karl remains the only Denver coach to have won 20+ road games in an NBA regular season (also won 21 road games in 2008-09). The Nuggets finished with the sixth-best record in the Western Conference – their highest finish since 1988-89 (sixth).
In 2005-06, Karl guided an injury-riddled Nuggets team to 44 wins and a Northwest Division title – the club’s first division crown since 1987-88. He became the fifth coach in NBA history to lead at least three different teams to division titles (also Milwaukee and Seattle).
Another of his remarkable accomplishments in Denver came in 2005. After assuming head coaching duties in January, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. When he was hired, the Nuggets were 17-25 and stood in 11th place in the Western Conference – a full six games out of the playoffs. Karl led the Nuggets to a 32-8 (.800) record and a No. 7 seed in the postseason. His winning percentage is the best in NBA history for a coach that took over in the middle of the season and coached at least 20 games. The Nuggets went 25-4 after the All-Star break, notching the fifth-best post-All-Star break record ever in the NBA.
During the 2004-05 season, Karl was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for February and March and finished fifth in voting for NBA Coach of the Year. He garnered 10 first place votes despite being on the bench for just over three months. He has earned nine Coach of the Month honors, which ranks as the fifth-most in NBA history.
Prior to joining the Nuggets, Karl served as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-03), the Seattle SuperSonics (1991-98), the Golden State Warriors (1986-88) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-86).
During Karl’s tenure in Seattle, the Sonics averaged 59 wins per season and won 384 games – second only to Chicago during that span. He led the Sonics to three 60-win seasons, had just one losing month and never had a losing streak longer than three games. Only three coaches have led their teams to more 60-win seasons in NBA history: Riley (seven), Jackson (six) and K.C. Jones (four).
In five seasons in Milwaukee, Karl led the Bucks to a record of 205-173 and four playoff berths, highlighted in 2001 by the team’s first trip to the conference finals since 1986.
One of the keys to Karl’s success has been putting players in positions to succeed. During his coaching career, Karl’s players have made 25 All-Star appearances, earned 15 All- NBA recognitions, made 11 All-Defensive teams and have won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Karl broke into coaching as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs (then in the ABA) under Nuggets coaching icon Doug Moe. He landed his first head coaching position with the Montana Golden Nuggets of the CBA in 1980 and went on to become one of the most successful coaches in that league’s history. A three-time CBA Coach of the Year (1981, ’83 and ’91), Karl compiled a 176-66 (.727) record in five CBA seasons. He led the Albany Patroons to a league-record 50-6 mark in 1990-91, including a perfect 28-0 at home. He also coached two years in Spain with Real Madrid.
In 2001, Karl was selected as the head coach of USA Basketball’s 2002 World Championship Team that competed in the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis.
As a player, Karl averaged 6.5 ppg and 3.0 apg over 264 games and five seasons between the ABA and NBA. He attended the University of North Carolina, where as a junior, he helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1972 NCAA Final Four, and during his sophomore season (1970-71), helped UNC to an NIT title. Although drafted by the New York Knicks in the fourth round of the 1973 NBA Draft, he signed with the San Antonio Spurs of the ABA.
Karl’s foundation, Friends of Hoop, annually hosts King Holiday Hoop Festivals – high school basketball tournaments held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King – in Seattle and Milwaukee.
A prostate cancer survivor, Karl is heavily involved with the American Cancer Society and the Prostate Cancer Education Council. He also has donated tickets to each home game for less fortunate families since his arrival in Denver.
He has three children – daughters Kelci and Kaci and son Coby, who spent the 2008-09 season playing for DKV Joventut Badalona in the Spanish ACB League. In 2007-08, Coby and George became just the third father/son duo to face each other in an NBA game and the first to do so in a postseason game as Denver took on Coby’s Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs.
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One of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, Dantley racked up 23,177 points during his 15-year career, placing him 20th in NBA annals. He led the league in scoring in 1980-81 and ’83-84, averaging 30.7 ppg and 30.6 ppg respectively. In fact, he averaged better than 30.0 ppg in four-straight seasons from 1980-84 and no fewer than 26.6 ppg from 1980-87. He holds the Nuggets opponent record for points in a game dropping 55 in Utah on 2/6/81.
Dantley appeared in 73 postseason games, averaging 21.3 ppg in those contests. He reached the NBA Finals in 1988, but his Pistons lost the L.A. Lakers in seven games.
Dantley’s many basketball accomplishments include the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1977 and the NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award in ‘84. He earned All-NBA Second Team honors in ‘81 and ’84 and was an Olympic gold medalist in ‘76. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September, 2008.
Following a standout career at Notre Dame, where he was a First Team All-America selection in ‘75 and ’76, Dantley was drafted by the Buffalo Braves after his junior season with the sixth overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft. He went on to play for the Pacers, Lakers, Jazz, Pistons, Mavericks and Bucks.
Born in Washington D.C., Dantley starred at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md. for legendary coach Morgan Wooten. He entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at Towson University from 1993-96. Before moving to Denver, he spent the previous two years as a studio analyst during Washington Wizards telecasts.
Dantley and his wife, Dinitri, have three children – son Cameron, a quarterback at Syracuse University and daughters Kalani and Kayla.
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Before joining the Nuggets, Grgurich served as an assistant in Portland (2004-05; ’98-01), Phoenix (’02-04), Milwaukee (’01-02) and Seattle (’91-98). Grgurich has been on Karl’s staff for six division titles and the pair made a trip to the NBA Finals together with Seattle in 1996. The Trail Blazers also won a division crown with Grgurich on staff in ’98-99 and reached the Western Conference Finals twice.
Grgurich spent 12 years as an assistant coach under Jerry Tarkanian at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, preparing emerging NBA standouts such as Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Armen Gilliam and Sidney Green. The Runnin’ Rebels won the 1990 NCAA Championship and made three Final Four appearances while he was part of the program.
His coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, where he also was a three-year letterman in both basketball and baseball. He began as an assistant before assuming head coaching duties for five seasons, beginning in 1975.
Grgurich earned a physical education degree from Pittsburgh. He and his wife Kathy have two daughters, Jennifer and Suzanne.
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Welch joined the Nuggets after two seasons as an assistant coach/workout coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. Prior to his arrival in Memphis, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Fresno State, serving under head coach Jerry Tarkanian, one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history. Welch joined Fresno State in 1995 and helped the Bulldogs to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, six consecutive 20-win seasons and seven straight postseason appearances. In 2000-01, he helped the Bulldogs to a 26-7 record, the second-most wins in school history; a school-record tying 13-game winning streak; and a Top 25 ranking during the second half of the season.
Welch, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas for three years including the 1987 season when the UNLV Rebels advanced to the NCAA Final Four. When the Rebels’ season ended, Welch also served as a player and coach in the New Zealand Professional Basketball League from 1986-89. Welch returned to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at Long Beach State where he helped Head Coach Seth Greenburg guide the 49ers to a two-year record of 37-20 and a berth in the 1995 NCAA Tournament.
As a player, Welch spent three seasons at the University of Nevada and transferred to UNLV for his senior year. Welch played under Tarkanian for one year when the Rebels compiled a 33-5 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Welch was born on Feb. 17, 1963 in Portland, Maine. He attended Ranch High School in Las Vegas where he was an All-State selection. He and his wife, Jean, have a daughter, Haley, and a son, Riley.
Chad Iske
Assistant Coach / Advance Scout
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Iske began working with the Nuggets on the ground level, serving as an intern in the scouting department for the 1999-00 season. From there he worked as the team’s video coordinator and scouting coordinator and began advanced scouting in 2004. He also scouted the CBA and D-League during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
A graduate of Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Iske has volunteered as a coach in the school’s high school and junior high basketball programs. He also served as an assistant coach for basketball and baseball at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence, Kan. and helped start the Kansas Angels summer high school basketball program in 1997 – where he was the primary fund raiser and assistant coach in ’97-98.
Iske, 32, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1999 with a degree in sports management. He currently resides in Denver.
Jamahl Mosley
Assistant Coach / Player Development
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Mosley was a four-year letterman at the University of Colorado from 1997-01. Following his collegiate career, he played two years in Australia for the Victoria Titans, one year in Spain with Baloncesto Leon and one year in Korea.
Stacey Augmon
Player Development Coach
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Augmon joined the Nuggets following a 15-year NBA playing career. In 1,001 career regular season games, Augmon averaged 8.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg. He began his career with the Atlanta Hawks, who made him the ninth overall selection of the 1991 NBA Draft and earned First Team All-Rookie honors that season. He also played for Detroit, Portland, harlotte/New Orleans and Orlando.
The Pasadena, Calif. native earned a reputation as the best defender in the country during a standout career at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Augmon was a First Team AP All-American as a senior and was honored as the nation’s top defender each of his last three seasons. As a junior, he was a member of UNLV’s 1990 National Championship team.
Augmon was also a member of the 1988 United States Olympic Team, which captured a bronze medal at the Seoul Olympics.
Dean Oliver
Director of Quantitative Analysis
Dean Oliver is in his fourth year as the Director of Quantitative Analysis for the Denver Nuggets. His expertise is the use of statistics to provide insight for management on trades, free agency, draft analysis, and coaching issues. He joined the NBA in 2004, working with the Supersonics during a 52 win season.
Oliver’s book, Basketball on Paper, has been widely praised as the best book on statistical analysis in basketball. Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith and baseball analytics pioneer Bill James both provided cover praise for it. The book forms the basis for much of the statistical analysis done in basketball at the NBA, college, and international levels.
Oliver played and coached Division III basketball for Caltech in the late 1980s and is in the movie about Caltech basketball, Quantum Hoops. He was an advance scout at the collegiate level for 4 years while earning a Ph.D. in engineering at the University of North Carolina.
He is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Quantitative Analysis of Sports and the executive board of the Association of Professional Basketball Research. He is also a member of the North American Association of Sports Economists.
Oliver’s wife, Marcia, is a leading cancer researcher. They have three boys who enjoy skiing, soccer, and basketball.
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In addition, he serves as the team’s travel coordinator and works closely with Strength and Conditioning Coach Steve Hess to monitor the Nuggets’ workout regimen and diet.
Gillen traveled across town in 1991 to join the Nuggets after serving as the assistant athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos from ‘87-90. During his tenure with the Broncos, Gillen accompanied the team to three Super Bowls. He and Broncos Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos were named the NFL’s Athletic Training Staff of the Year in ‘87.
Prior to joining the Broncos, Gillen was an athletic trainer for the AMI/Denver Broncos Sports Medicine Clinic in 1987 and served as the head athletic trainer at Overland High School from ‘82-86 and Aurora Central High School from ‘80-82.
After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State (Kan.), Gillen was the head athletic trainer at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio before moving to Denver.
A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, Gillen is a past president of the Colorado Athletic Trainers Association. He is also past Chairman of the NBA Athletic Trainers Association and is a recipient of the National Athletic Trainers Association 25 Year Award.
Gillen has served as an athletic trainer at three NBA All-Star Games, working the 2005 (Denver) and 2003 (Atlanta) contests as the head trainer for the Western Conference and the 1995 game in Phoenix as an assistant.
He has been honored with the Joe O’Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year Award in 2002 and 2008 and was an athletic trainer for USA Basketball at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis.
Gillen established the Excellence in High School Athletic Training Award in 2003 given annually to the top high school athletic training program in Colorado. The recipient receives a monetary donation for supplies and equipment and is recognized at a Nuggets home game.
A native of Meade, Kan., his family includes daughter Rachel; daughter Jamee Ulitzky, her husband Josh and their children Joey, Jordan and Julia; son J.D., his wife Emily and their daughters Alexsis and Aspen; and daughter Amanda Lloyd and her husband J.
Steve Hess
Assistant Coach / Strength & Conditioning
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In his 13th season with the Nuggets, Hess creates and administers individual workout programs for each player throughout the entire year. He spends the majority of the off season working with the Nuggets players as well as other professional athletes, overseeing every aspect of their workout programs. He pushes them to reach their peak physical condition.
Hess is a part owner of FORZA fitness and performance center and is one of 10 trainers worldwide who sits on the Under Armour training council.
In addition, Hess has had much television experience and has been featured on NBA Inside Stuff and on The Eating Network. He also has his own workout segment on the Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network.
A graduate of Ithaca College (N.Y.), Hess received a master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis on sports medicine and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science fitness and cardiac rehabilitation in ‘91.
Hess lives to obtain peak performance in his own life. His wife, Alicia, is also a conditioning expert and the couple spends their time chasing their two sons, Jordan and Korey, around their home.
Matt Friia
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Matt Friia is entering his sixth year with the Denver Nuggets as an Assistant Athletic Trainer and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Friia got his start with the Nuggets working alongside Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Steve Hess, assisting him with the successful execution of the entire conditioning and nutritional program for the team, as well as working on rehabilitation with injured athletes.
As an Assistant Athletic Trainer, Friia works with Head Athletic Trainer Jim Gillen, helping him in the athletic training room with the treatment and rehabilitation injuries. Prior to joining the Nuggets, Friia received a dual bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in athletic training and sports medicine. Throughout his time at Ithaca College, he worked as an Athletic Trainer with many of the sports teams such as men’s basketball and men’s football.
A native of Ithaca, N.Y., Friia resides south of Denver with his wife, Carey.
Dan Shimensky
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Dan Shimensky enters his third season with the Denver Nuggets as Assistant Athletic Trainer/Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
His duties include assisting Head Athletic Trainer Jim Gillen in various capacities within the athletic training room and on team road trips.
As a strength and conditioning assistant, Shimensky assists Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Steve Hess with the successful execution of the entire conditioning and nutritional program for the Nuggets.
A recent graduate of Central Washington University, Shimensky received his master’s degree in exercise science. While at CWU, he was the graduate assistant athletic trainer for football and men’s basketball.
Prior to his tenure at Central Washington, Shimensky completed his undergraduate work at the University of Utah, receiving his degree in exercise science with an emphasis in athletic training. He worked on the training staff for football and women’s gymnastics.
While at Utah, Dan also had the opportunity to be involved in several internships with several NBA organizations including the Miami Heat (Summer, 2003), the Nuggets (Fall, 2004) and the Seattle Sonics (Summers of 2004, 05, 06).
This past summer, Dan was fortunate and honored to be selected as Head Athletic Trainer for the USA men’s U-19 FIBA World Championships. Held in Auckland, New Zealand; Shimensky helped team USA capture the gold medal, an accomplishment that had not been achieved since 1991.
In addition to being a certified Athletic Trainer, Shimensky has obtained his corrective exercise specialization (CES) and performance enhancement specialization (PES) certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
His father, Mike, was a longtime NBA Athletic Trainer.
Sparky Gonzales
Equipment Manager
Sparky Gonzales enters his 12th year as equipment manager, but his history with the Nuggets goes back much further than that. Gonzales enters his 32nd year of service with the Nuggets, having served in a variety of capacities.
In 1977, Gonzales joined the Nuggets performing part-time locker room and bench security. He served as equipment manager from 1989-91. From 1992 until his hire in 2001, Gonzales assisted the Nuggets media relations department as a jack-of-all-trades on game nights. As equipment manager, Gonzales orders and maintains all of the team’s equipment at home and on the road.
The Denver native and his wife Tammy were married in 1998. Gonzales enjoys fishing, camping and golfing in his spare time.
Lisa Johnson
Director, Basketball Administration
Lisa Johnson is celebrating her 29th year with the Denver Nuggets. This University of Denver graduate has served in many rolls throughout her career with the organization, including sales, receptionist, community relations, media relations and has spent the last fifteen years in basketball operations.
In her current role as Director of Basketball Administration, Lisa handles day to day operations of the office, team travel, assisting the coaches and working with the other Kroenke Sports departments in scheduling and maintaining the player appearance program.
In her spare time, Lisa has fun spending time with her husband Jim, traveling, enjoying the outdoors, music, art and flower gardening. The Johnsons reside in Centennial with Gracie the cat.
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