Gunner Winston has been hired as an assistant coach of the New York University men's basketball team. His main responsibilities include assisting in daily practice and in game preparation.
Winston joins the Violets after working in the field of finance, serving as the co-founder of a hedge fund since 2007.
"It's great to have Gunner back in the program," said Head Coach
Joe Nesci. "He was a terrific player and leader for us. Those qualities will serve him well in his new role as an assistant coach."
Winston is a 1999 graduate of NYU with a dual Bachelor of Arts/Master of Public Administration degree from the College of Arts and Science (CAS) and the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, respectively. He is currently serving his second year as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council for CAS.
During his time at NYU, Winston was a four-year member of the Violets' basketball team under Nesci, earning Second Team All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors as a junior and senior. In addition to serving as a co-captain during his senior year, Winston earned the James Lancaster Award (NYU's top defensive player) as a junior and the Howard Cann Award (NYU's Most Valuable Player) as a senior. He was also a Second Team All-Met honoree in his final season with the Violets.
Winston, who compiled 1,045 career points, currently ranks third all-time in NYU's record books for individual career three-point field goal percentage (41.4) and is tied for fifth in single-season three-point field goal percentage (46.3), set during his freshman season.
"I've always followed my passions in life, and to me basketball is unquestionably just that," Winston said. "I have a very strong connection to NYU, so it is the ideal introduction to coaching for me. Also, my relationship with Coach Nesci spans close to 20 years, so it's great to be coaching with him."
A native of Montclair, NJ, Winston resides in Manhattan with his wife, Alyson, and their two sons, Stryke and Jag.
