Al Grushkin, a 30-year coaching veteran, begins his second year as an assistant coach with Arkansas State. Grushkin, who has 28 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, spent the previous six years to his arrival at ASU as the head coach at Incarnate Word, but has also coached at UT-San Antonio, Idaho State, Western Illinois, Arkansas, Tulsa and Georgia State as either an assistant or associate head coach.
Grushkin, well known for his abilities as a defensive coach, helped turn around ASU’s defense last year in his first season with the Indians. Grushkin helped the Indians move from a 2005-06 No. 9 ranking in the Sun Belt Conference in field goal percentage defense to a No. 3 ranking last season. In fact, ASU’s opponent’s shot .450 in 2005-06, but that percentage dropped to .420 last season. The Indians held 14 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting and five opponents under 35 percent.
Grushkin inherited an Incarnate Word program that was making the move from NAIA to NCAA Division II status and compiled a 94-70 record during his six-year tenure with the Cardinals. His 2001 team finished 25-4, won the Heartland Conference and advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals. His 2002 squad compiled a 20-8 record and ranked as high as 20th nationally. Grushkin’s teams finished in the nation’s top 25 in scoring defense every year. During his time at Incarnate Word, Grushkin also served as the NABC Congressman for the Heartland Conference and was a member of the NCAA South Central Regional Advisory Board.
Prior to his arrival at Incarnate Word, Grushkin was an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator at UT-San Antonio from 1997-2000. During his initial year at UTSA, the Roadrunners jumped from the bottom of the Southland Conference standings to a second-place finish and the 1998 team won the Southland Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also helped make major improvements in the team’s defense as it finished in the league’s top two in every defensive category during his stay. While at UTSA, Grushkin wrote “Defense With an Attitude”, which was published by Winning Hoops Magazine in 1998.
Grushkin served as the associate head basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Idaho State University from 1992-97, helping lead the Bengals to the 1993 Big Sky title, their first in 17 years. The 1994 Idaho State team received votes in the national Top-25 polls and at one time had the nation’s 12th best record, 15th best scoring margin and seventh longest home winning streak. Five of Grushkin’s signees went on to play professionally at some level. Grushkin’s major responsibilities centered around recruiting and team defense, but he also worked with scheduling, office administration and post player development.
From 1987-92, Grushkin was a member of the Western Illinois coaching staff as an assistant and the recruiting coordinator. Grushkin’s major responsibilities included team defense, but he also wrote “Multiple Zone Offense” that was published by NABC Magazine in 1992. While Grushkin was at WIU, the Leathernecks had four signees that received all-conference recognition and had recruiting classes that were ranked as the Mid-Continent Conference’s best by Van Coleman’s Future Stars and the Chicago Windy City Review.
While an assistant coach at Arkansas from 1985-87, Grushkin was primarily responsible for scouting, academics, scheduling and conditioning, but also assisted in the Razorback's defensive game plan in victories over nationally-ranked Kansas and Ohio State. During his tenure at Tulsa (1985-87) as an assistant coach, the Golden Hurricane posted a 50-12 record and were a national top-10 team, won two Missouri Valley Conference championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Grushkin made his first collegiate stop at Georgia State, where he was an assistant coach from 1981-83. He was also the head basketball coach at Bishop Byrne High School in Georgia from 1979-81, posting a two-year mark of 40-25 while leading the school to back-to-back playoff appearances.
Grushkin earned his bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1975 and his masters degree from Georgia State in 1982.
Al and his wife, Debbie, have one daughter, Michelle, and one son, Michael.
