June 12, 2002

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head women's basketball coach Raegan Scott-Pebley announced the hiring of John Bartleson as the program's first assistant coach Wednesday.

Bartleson comes to USU from Cal State Fullerton, where he spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach. Prior to his stint at Fullerton, he was the head girls basketball coach at Park City High School in Park City, Utah.

"I'm very excited to return to the state of Utah," said Bartleson. "I love the state and I get to return doing something that I love to do, while working with someone like Raegan is a great opportunity. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It's a perfect fit all the way around, and we both want to do something good with this program sooner rather than later."

"He was a natural choice for us because of his Utah and Big West Conference ties," said Scott-Pebley. "John knows the Utah talent and high schools, and after two years at Cal State Fullerton, he knows southern California. Personally and professionally, I respect him and I know he will represent the University and our program the way we want to be known. Finally, he's a great recruiter and coach who can not only inspire players but also can get the very best out of them."

Bartleson graduated from New Mexico State in 1994, where he played and worked for Coach Neil McCarthy. He was a graduate assistant coach (1992-93) and worked as an administrative assistant (1993-94) for teams that won the Big West championship and made NCAA appearances both years. Additionally, Bartleson played on NMSU's NCAA teams in 1991 and 1992, as the Aggies finished the regular season ranked 11th in the nation his junior year and lost to UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen his senior season.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a major in physical education. Bartleson will begin at Utah State on July 1.

Utah State reinstated its women's basketball program on March 5, 2002, after a 15-year absence. The Aggies begin play in the 2003-04 season.