The Gonzaga men’s basketball coaching tree has grown some new branches.
Former Bulldogs guard Eric McClellan will join the Florida Atlantic men’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant to newly named head coach John Jakus, who was Gonzaga’s director of basketball operations from 2014-17.
“We had a special bond,” McClellan said of his relationship with Jakus. “We had a special relationship, my wife is close to her wife Sara. We have been able to see her children grow up… so our relationship was always paramount.”
Like many former players on Gonzaga’s staff, McClellan didn’t always envision himself as a coach. The 31-year-old has lived in Spokane since his last professional stint in Austria, and even attended some of Gonzaga’s practices last season. He wanted to be around the game, but it wasn’t until he reconnected with Jakus that he knew what the next chapter of his basketball life entailed.
“When I had reservations about my playing career, John is one of my mentors, and we had extensive conversations about life and things like that and focused on what the next chapter was going to be,” McClellan said.
Jakus, then an assistant and associate coach at Baylor (2017-24), brought up the idea of McClellan joining the Bears staff as a graduate assistant. McClellan grew up in Austin, Texas, just over 100 miles south of Baylor’s campus in Waco, Texas. The opportunity to be closer to home was a “no brainer” for McClellan, although as fate would have it, plans changed shortly after the NCAA Tournament.
“I was really excited (about Baylor),” McClellan said. “And then (Baylor lost to Clemson in the first round), the news comes and (Jakus is) the head coach at FAU.
“So he called me, I guess he was overwhelmed, but John is stoic and collected, calm and collected, you probably wouldn’t be able to read it, but he called me and asked me to come on staff. “
The Owls burst onto the college basketball scene under head coach Dusty May, who led the program to the Final Four in 2023 and is the school’s all-time leader in career wins. After another postseason appearance in 2024, May accepted the Michigan head coaching job earlier this spring. Which opened the door for two former Zags to rekindle a bit of the past.
“I’m looking forward to being around someone I love and respect. As good a coach as he is, he’s a better human being, and that’s what excites me the most. I’m just under the tutelage of so many great coaches, so many great men (at Gonzaga) … and now I get to work with someone that I trust and love. I’m looking forward to it.”
McClellan shared more about his new position, his thoughts on the 2024-25 Bulldogs and much more, in a new episode of Gonzaga Nation.
WATCH ERIC MCCLELLAN’S FULL EPISODE:
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