Jeff Wulbrun new men's basketball coach at University of Denver

DENVER -- The University of Denver has hired Jeff Wulbrun as its men's basketball coach. It will be Wilbrun's first head coaching job in the college ranks.

The Stanford associate head coach takes over for Rodney Billups, who was let go earlier this month after finishing 48-94 with the Pioneers.

"Jeff is a proven program builder with a depth of coaching experience," vice chancellor for athletics Karlton Creech said Monday as Wulbrun became the 33rd head coach in program history. "His success at every stop along the way stands for itself, but what drew us to Jeff was his development of people. Relationships are the foundation of his recruiting and coaching, and I'm confident he is the right person to lead this program."

Wulbrun wrapped up his fifth season with Stanford, where he helped bring in highly recruited classes under head coach Jerod Haase.

Wulbrun boasts three decades of coaching experience, including stints on the staffs at UAB, Virginia Tech, Illinois State and California. He also served as the head coach of Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Illinois.

After spending some time in the business sector, Wulbrun returned to coaching by working with Seth Greenberg for a season at Virginia Tech. Wulbrun joined the staff at UAB after Haase was named the head coach of the Blazers in 2012. He also joined forces with Haase at Stanford.

With the Cardinal, Wulbrun worked with the forwards and centers. He also oversaw the team's scheduling, which included home games against some of the nation's top programs.

"Denver Basketball will be in good hands with Jeff as the head coach," Haase said. "He is incredibly prepared for this opportunity and has a vision of success that will be realized soon. While I am personally sad to see him leave, I am excited for him as he embarks on this new adventure."