Pete Gillen

Pete Gillen (born June 20, 1947)

Teams coached: Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars, Virginia Cavaliers
Xavier record: 202-75 (.729)
Providence record: 72-53 (.576)
Virginia record: 118-93 (.559)
Overall record: 392-221 (.639)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  9  (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2001)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  2  (1990, 1997)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  7  (1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004)
  • MCC Regular Season Champion:  6  (1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994)
  • MCC Tournament Champion:  5  (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1998-2005 Virginia
1994-1998 Providence
1985-1994 Xavier
1980-1985 Notre Dame (asst)
1978-1980 Villanova (asst)
1976-1978 VMI (asst)
1975-1976 Hawaii (asst)

Pete Gillen Facts

  • Peter Joseph Gillen
  • Born June 20, 1947
  • Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
  • Alma Mater: Fairfield University (BA, 1969)
  • Played baseball and basketball at Fairfield, the latter under head coach George Bisacca
  • Started coaching career back home in Brooklyn, spending several years at his own alma mater, Brooklyn Prep
  • Joined the college ranks in 1975, spending the next ten seasons as an assistant coach under Bruce O’Neil (Hawaii), Charlie Schmaus (VMI), Rollie Massimino (Villanova) and Digger Phelps (Notre Dame)
  • Spent nine years as head coach at Xavier, going to seven NCAA Tournaments and winning nine MCC (now Horizon) titles
    • His 202 wins were the most at Xavier until 2017, when Gillen’s former player Chris Mack surpassed that win total
  • Was head coach at Providence for four seasons, going to the NIT twice and then making a run to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1997
  • Took over at Virginia in 1998, where he would serve as head coach for the next seven seasons
    • Won 118 games, went to four NITs but just one NCAA Tournament during that tenure
  • Gillen became a college basketball analyst for College Sports Television (now CBS Sports Network) in 2005
  • Inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008
  • Along with his wife, Ginnie, has one son and one daughter

Pete Gillen Coaching Tree