Source: Walberg adding Tark-era assistant to staff
FRESNO, Calif. – Vance Walberg will be officially introduced as the new Fresno State men’s basketball coach on Friday, and we are learning more about who will be on Vance’s staff.
A source confirming to Sports Central earlier reports from Jackson Moore of Barkboard.com and Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, that John Welch, a former assistant under Jerry Tarkanian at Fresno State, will be hired as Walberg’s associate head coach.
Welch spent this past season as an assistant under John Calipari at Kentucky, and has nearly 20 years of experience in the NBA as an assistant, and almost ten years of experience as a college assistant.
Welch played for Tarkanian at UNLV (1985-86), worked under him as a grad assistant with the Runnin’ Rebels (1986-89), and later as an assistant with the Bulldogs (1995-2002).
In addition to Tarkanian, Welch has worked under well-known coaches like Doc Rivers, George Karl, Jason Kidd, and Hubie Brown.
Most recently, Welch and Walberg were on the same staff under Karl with the Sacramento Kings (2015-2016).
Calipari just left Kentucky to take the open Arkansas head coaching job, but according to Kyle Tucker, who covers Kentucky basketball for the Athletic, Welch’s move was already in the works before Calipari left Lexington for Fayetteville.
Tucker writing on X Tuesday, “Cal’s two dribble-drive guys together again. I was told Welch had already informed Calipari he would not be back before the Arkansas move for Cal.”
