UTSA Men's Basketball Camps
Coaching Staff

Dan O'Dowd
Assistant Head Coach

A 27-year coaching veteran, Dan O’Dowd is in his fifth season as associate head coach and his seventh year overall as the top assistant coach at UTSA. He assists with recruiting, scheduling and practice coordination in addition to on-the-floor coaching duties. O’Dowd has established several international recruiting ties that have helped UTSA land key players, including two-time all-conference performer Jeromie Hill, a native of Cairns, Australia.

In his six years in the Alamo City, UTSA has registered the school’s first-ever NCAA postseason victory in any sport, captured one league championship, made two conference tournament title game appearances and recorded the most successful four-year stretch (76 wins) in two decades. Twenty school records have fallen under his watch, while eight players have earned all-conference honors, three have been tabbed Southland Freshman of the Year (Devin Gibson, 2008; Melvin Johnson III, 2010; Jeromie Hill, 2011) and six have garnered Southland All-Academic Team accolades, including three Southland Student-Athlete of the Year honorees.

Last season, O’Dowd helped guide UTSA to an 18-14 record and its fifth consecutive berth in the Southland Conference Tournament. The Roadrunners recorded a 10-6 league ledger, their most conference wins since 2004-05, which resulted in a third-place finish in the West Division. Hill was tabbed Southland Student-Athlete of the Year and second-team all-conference and NABC All-District 23, while Johnson III and Kannon Burrage earned third-team and honorable mention accolades, respectively.

The 2010-11 campaign arguably was the most successful in 20 years. He helped lead UTSA to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2004 and to the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, where it registered the first NCAA postseason victory in any sport in the department’s 30-year history with a 70-61 first-round victory over Alabama State during the First Four on March 16 in Dayton, Ohio. That win gave UTSA its first 20-win season in 19 years. The Roadrunners recorded their second consecutive 4-1 start — a school record — and their fourth straight 4-0 start at home. UTSA tied for third in the Southland West Division and fifth overall to qualify for its fourth straight Southland Tournament, where it upset the top three seeds en route to the crown. Top-ranked Ohio State ended the Roadrunners’ season at 20-14 with a 75-46 setback in the NCAA Second Round in Cleveland.

In 2009-10, UTSA opened with a 4-0 overall record for the first time in school history and got off to the best 15-game start in school annals with a 12-3 mark. That stretch included a historic road win at Iowa — the Hawkeyes’ first home-opening loss since 1962 and first season-opening defeat since 1978. The Roadrunners finished 19-11 overall and tied for third in the Southland Conference West Division and fifth overall with a 9-7 league mark. UTSA won a school-record 10 non-conference contests, including a UTSA-best seven victories against Division I opponents, and advanced to the Southland Tournament for the third consecutive year.

In 2008-09, the Roadrunners posted a 19-13 record, including an 8-8 league ledger. It marked the most overall wins since the 2003-04 team also won 19 games. In its second straight Southland Tournament appearance, the Roadrunners upended Sam Houston State and Nicholls en route to making the program’s first championship game in six seasons.

In his second season, UTSA tied for third place in the Southland Conference West Division and tied for sixth in the overall league standings with a 7-9 record, making a return to the Southland Tournament for the first time since 2006.

In his first year on campus, UTSA set school records for fewest field goals allowed in a season (649), fewest field goals allowed in a game (13, San Diego, Nov. 26, 2006) and lowest field goal percentage by an opponent (24.5%, San Diego). UTSA also finished second in the Southland in scoring defense (66.3 ppg).

O’Dowd followed Thompson to UTSA from Arizona State, where he served as an assistant coach for eight seasons under Rob Evans, now an assistant coach at Arkansas.

He helped Arizona State reach the 2003 NCAA Tournament, the program’s first NCAA appearance since 1995. The Sun Devils finished with a 20-12 record that season, defeating Memphis in the NCAA First Round before falling to eventual national finalist Kansas.

He helped tutor future NBA player Ike Diogu, the 2004-05 Pac-10 Player of the Year, a second-team All-American and the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft (Golden State Warriors). Arizona State also advanced to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 2002 and 2005.

While at ASU, O’Dowd also coached NBA players Eddie House, the 1999-2000 Pac-10 Player of the Year and a member of the 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics, Mike Batiste, Awvee Storey and Tommy Smith.

Prior to his work at Arizona State, O’Dowd was an assistant coach under Evans at Mississippi from 1993-98. He was a key member of a staff that turned around the Rebels program, producing back-to-back NCAA appearances for the first time in school history. O’Dowd helped Mississippi capture two Southeastern Conference (SEC) West titles in 1997 and 1998. He coached Ansu Sesay, the 1997-98 SEC Player of the Year, at Mississippi.

O’Dowd spent two years (1991-93) as an assistant coach and assistant athletics director at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. He helped guide the Cougars to records of 21-10 in 1991-92 and 23-9 in 1992-93 as Barton County qualified for the regional tournament both years.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Lon Kruger at Kansas State from 1989-91. The Wildcats finished 17-15 and participated in the 1990 NCAA Tournament during his tenure.

O’Dowd was an assistant coach at Topeka (Kan.) High School from 1986-89. His three-year stint included a 20-3 record in 1986-87, an 18-4 mark in 1987-88 and a 20-3, Class 6A runner-up season in 1988-89.

A native of Lakewood, Colo., O’Dowd received a bachelor’s degree in English education and physical education/health in 1986 from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan.

A standout athlete, O’Dowd lettered four years in both cross country and track & field at Bethany where he was a three-time all-conference and academic all-conference honoree. In cross country, he was a two-time qualifier for the national championships. He also qualified twice for the outdoor track nationals and three times for indoor nationals.

O’Dowd graduated from Lakewood High School in 1981 where he was a four-sport letterman in basketball, swimming, tennis and track. He set the school’s assists record and broke track records in the 800-meter and mile runs.

O’Dowd married the former Ginger Dowell in June 2009 and the couple has two sons, Trey and Conner. 

Jeff Renegar
Assistant Coach

Previously a highly successful assistant coach on the junior college circuit, Jeff Renegar is in his fifth season as assistant coach at UTSA and his 12th year of coaching overall. He assists with recruiting and scheduling in addition to on-the-floor coaching duties.

In his four years in the Alamo City under head coach Brooks Thompson, UTSA has registered the school’s first-ever NCAA postseason victory in any sport, captured one league championship, made two conference tournament title game appearances and recorded the most successful four-year stretch (76 wins) in two decades. Eight players have earned all-conference honors, two have been tabbed Southland Freshman of the Year (Melvin Johnson III, 2010; Jeromie Hill, 2011) and Devin Gibson (2010, ‘11) and Jeromie Hill (2012) were named Southland Student-Athlete of the Year each of the last three years.

Last season, Renegar helped guide UTSA to an 18-14 record and its fifth consecutive berth in the Southland Conference Tournament. The Roadrunners recorded a 10-6 league ledger, their most conference wins since 2004-05, which resulted in a third-place finish in the West Division. Hill was tabbed Southland Student-Athlete of the Year and second-team all-conference and NABC All-District 23, while Johnson III and Kannon Burrage earned third-team and honorable mention accolades, respectively.

The 2010-11 campaign arguably was the most successful in 20 years. He helped lead UTSA to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2004 and to the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, where it registered the first NCAA postseason victory in any sport in the department’s 30-year history with a 70-61 first-round victory over Alabama State during the First Four on March 16 in Dayton, Ohio. That win gave UTSA its first 20-win season in 19 years. The Roadrunners recorded their second consecutive 4-1 start — a school record — and their fourth straight 4-0 start at home. UTSA tied for third in the Southland West Division and fifth overall to qualify for its fourth straight Southland Tournament, where it upset the top three seeds en route to the crown. Top-ranked Ohio State ended the Roadrunners’ season at 20-14 with a 75-46 setback in the NCAA Second Round in Cleveland.

In 2009-10, UTSA opened with a 4-0 overall record for the first time in school history and got off to the best 15-game start in school annals with a 12-3 mark. That stretch included a historic road win at Iowa — the Hawkeyes’ first home-opening loss since 1962 and first season-opening defeat since 1978. The Roadrunners finished 19-11 overall and tied for third in the Southland Conference West Division and fifth overall with a 9-7 league mark. UTSA won a school-record 10 non-conference contests, including a UTSA-best seven victories against Division I opponents, and advanced to the Southland Tournament for the third consecutive year.

In 2008-09, the Roadrunners posted a 19-13 record, including an 8-8 league ledger. It marked the most overall wins since the 2003-04 team also won 19 games. In its second straight Southland Tournament appearance, the Roadrunners upended Sam Houston State and Nicholls en route to making the program’s first championship game in six seasons.

Renegar came to UTSA from the College of Southern Idaho, where he was an assistant coach under Barret Peery for three seasons. During his time at CSI, the winningest program in NJCAA history, the Golden Eagles won 85 games, captured three conference titles and made a pair of trips to the NJCAA Tournament.

In 2007-08, CSI posted a 30-2 record, averaged 110.8 points per game, won the Scenic West Athletic Conference Championship, spent several weeks ranked No. 1 in the nation and advanced to the Region 18 Championship Game. The 2006-07 squad went 30-7 and advanced to the national semifinals, while the 2005-06 team — which included Gabbidon — recorded a 25-10 mark and another appearance at the national tournament, or “Hutch.”

Prior to Renegar’s tenure at CSI, he was an assistant coach for two seasons (2002-04) under Thompson at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. The Roughriders posted a 55-14 record, won back-to-back Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and NJCAA Regional Tournament Championships and advanced to the NJCAA Tournament both seasons. In that staff’s first season, Yavapai went 28-7 and finished the campaign with a No. 11 national ranking. In 2003-04, the Roughriders registered a 27-7 record, a No. 17 final ranking, averaged 91.1 points per game (14th in the nation) and ranked 13th in the country in both field goal percentage (55.0) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.0).

Renegar coached 36 players at the JUCO level who went on to sign National Letters of Intent with NCAA Division I programs in conferences such as the ACC, A-10, Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, Conference USA, Mountain West, WAC, Sun Belt, West Coast, Big Sky, Big South, Summit League and Big West. Six of his former players moved on to the professional ranks, while four earned NJCAA All-America honors, including Gabbidon at CSI.

The last nine teams for which he has been an assistant coach have compiled a combined 224-73 (.754) record and won seven conference championships.

A native of Tulsa, Okla., Renegar played college basketball for head coach Don Sumner at St. Gregory’s Junior College in Shawnee, Okla., and later finished his career at Southwest Kansas College in Winfield, Kan. He earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Adams State College in 2004.

Robert Guster
Assistant Coach

Robert Guster is in his seventh season as an assistant coach at UTSA, where he assists with recruiting duties, academics and scheduling in addition to on-the-floor coaching duties.

In his six years in the Alamo City, UTSA has registered the school’s first-ever NCAA postseason victory in any sport, captured one league championship, made two conference tournament title game appearances and recorded the most successful four-year stretch (76 wins) in two decades. Twenty school records have fallen under his watch, while eight players have earned all-conference honors, three have been tabbed Southland Freshman of the Year (Devin Gibson, 2008; Melvin Johnson III, 2010; Jeromie Hill, 2011) and six have garnered Southland All-Academic Team accolades, including three Southland Student-Athlete of the Year honorees.

Last season, Guster helped guide UTSA to an 18-14 record and its fifth consecutive berth in the Southland Conference Tournament. The Roadrunners recorded a 10-6 league ledger, their most conference wins since 2004-05, which resulted in a third-place finish in the West Division. Hill was tabbed Southland Student-Athlete of the Year and second-team all-conference and NABC All-District 23, while Johnson III and Kannon Burrage earned third-team and honorable mention accolades, respectively.

The 2010-11 campaign arguably was the most successful in 20 years. He helped lead UTSA to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2004 and to the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, where it registered the first NCAA postseason victory in any sport in the department’s 30-year history with a 70-61 first-round victory over Alabama State during the First Four on March 16 in Dayton, Ohio. That win gave UTSA its first 20-win season in 19 years. The Roadrunners recorded their second consecutive 4-1 start — a school record — and their fourth straight 4-0 start at home. UTSA tied for third in the Southland West Division and fifth overall to qualify for its fourth straight Southland Tournament, where it upset the top three seeds en route to the crown. Top-ranked Ohio State ended the Roadrunners’ season at 20-14 with a 75-46 setback in the NCAA Second Round in Cleveland.

In 2009-10, UTSA opened with a 4-0 overall record for the first time in school history and got off to the best 15-game start in school annals with a 12-3 mark. That stretch included a historic road win at Iowa — the Hawkeyes’ first home-opening loss since 1962 and first season-opening defeat since 1978. The Roadrunners finished 19-11 overall and tied for third in the Southland Conference West Division and fifth overall with a 9-7 league mark. UTSA won a school-record 10 non-conference contests, including a UTSA-best seven victories against Division I opponents, and advanced to the Southland Tournament for the third consecutive year.

In 2008-09, the Roadrunners posted a 19-13 record, including an 8-8 league ledger. It marked the most overall wins since the 2003-04 team also won 19 games. In its second straight Southland Tournament appearance, the Roadrunners upended Sam Houston State and Nicholls en route to making the program’s first championship game in six seasons.

In his second season, UTSA tied for third place in the Southland Conference West Division and tied for sixth in the overall league standings with a 7-9 record, making a return to the Southland Tournament for the first time since 2006.

In his first year on campus, UTSA set school records for fewest field goals allowed in a season (649), fewest field goals allowed in a game (13, San Diego, Nov. 26, 2006) and lowest field goal percentage by an opponent (24.5%, San Diego). UTSA also finished second in the Southland in scoring defense (66.3 ppg).

Guster came to UTSA from Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he served as an assistant coach under head coach Gary Garner. While at SEMO, he was heavily involved in the Redhawks’ recruiting efforts and also oversaw the program’s academic affairs.

Prior to his two-year stint at SEMO, Guster was an assistant coach for five seasons at Missouri State-West Plains Community College under head coach Tom Barr from 1999-2004. During his time at West Plains, the Grizzlies posted a 120-36 record. Ten of the players that he directly recruited signed to play NCAA Division I basketball.

Top players during Guster’s tenure at West Plains included NJCAA All-Americans Jason Detrick, who played in the Final Four with Oklahoma, Tevoris Thompson, who made a junior college record 29 3-pointers in a two-game span, and Terrell Everett, an All-Big 12 player at Oklahoma.

Also a standout player, Guster spent two seasons as the starting point guard at West Plains before moving on to a two-year career as the starter at Missouri-Rolla. He led Missouri-Rolla in assists both seasons and also led the MIAA Conference in assists-to-turnovers ratio. The Miners posted back-to-back winning seasons in his two years.

A native of West Monroe, La., Guster earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Missouri-Rolla in 1999. He received his master’s degree in elementary education from Missouri State in 2002.

He and his wife, Melissa, have one daughter, Alivia, and a son, Shiloh.

Shenton Wai
Team Operations Coordinator

Shenton Wai is in his fourth season as team operations coordinator, where he is responsible for film exchange and assisting with recruiting coordination and on-campus visits, team travel, academics and compliance.

Last season, UTSA posted an 18-14 record and advanced to its fifth consecutive Southland Conference Tournament. The Roadrunners recorded a 10-6 league ledger, their most conference wins since 2004-05, which resulted in a third-place finish in the West Division.

In 2010-11, UTSA captured the Southland Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2004 and earned to the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, where it registered the first NCAA postseason victory in any sport in the department’s 30-year history with a 70-61 first-round victory over Alabama State during the First Four on March 16 in Dayton, Ohio. That win gave UTSA its first 20-win season in 19 years.

In 2009-10, UTSA opened with a 4-0 overall record for the first time in school history and got off to the best 15-game start in school annals with a 12-3 mark. That stretch included a historic road win at Iowa — the Hawkeyes’ first home-opening loss since 1962 and first season-opening defeat since 1978. The Roadrunners finished 19-11 overall and tied for third in the Southland Conference West Division and fifth overall with a 9-7 league mark, their best Southland ledger since going 10-6 in 2004-05. UTSA won a school-record 10 non-conference contests, including a UTSA-best seven victories against Division I opponents, and advanced to the Southland Tournament for the third consecutive year.

Wai joined the Roadrunners after spending the 2008-09 season as a basketball operations intern with the San Antonio Spurs. While with the NBA franchise, Wai scouted, built and maintained the 2009 draft prospect and free agent DVD library for NCAA, NBDL and international players. Wai also coordinated travel for draft workouts, mini camps, training camps and open gym summer workouts, as well as assisting in the day-to-day operations of the front office.

Prior to joining the Spurs, Wai was a marketing and communications executive with the National Basketball League in Australia from 2004-08. He was responsible for the management of the NBL licensing program and official team gear and merchandise. Wai also managed multi-million dollar sponsorships for several companies and organized corporate events such as golf outings, trade show exhibits, dinners, press conferences and tournaments.

Wai served as marketing coordinator for the Sydney Kings from 2003-04, managing promotions and marketing activities, developing a membership loyalty program for season ticket holders and initiating relationships with community and corporate clients.

From 2001-04, Wai was an assistant coach and advance and talent scout for Sydney, helping the Kings win back-to-back NBL Championships in 2003-04.

Wai also coached a junior boys team, Nunawading Spectres, in 2000, a representative-level (highest level) club that produced Olympian and former NBA player Shane Heal. In 2003, he served as head coach for the Australian team that participated in the Maccabi Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

A former player, Wai was a member of the Melbourne Tigers junior squad from 1991-93. He began playing club basketball in 1989 for Ashwood and began coaching the team one year later at the age of 13.

Wai earned a bachelor of business management degree in human resource and manufacturing from Victoria University in 1999. The Melbourne native graduated from Victoria with an associate degree in business operations management in 1996 and holds a Victorian Certificate of Education from Swinburne Secondary College in 1994.

Wai married the former Lisa Garza in August 2012.