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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:23 p.m., Tuesday, February 19, 2008

CBKB: Pepperdine brings back Tom Asbury as coach

Associated Press

MALIBU, Calif. — Tom Asbury is coming out of retirement to coach Pepperdine's basketball team for a second time beginning next season.

The 62-year-old had a 125-59 record from 1989-94. Asbury has been retired in Tucson, Ariz., after coaching at Kansas State and being an assistant at Alabama.

Eric Bridgeland, who was named interim coach after Vance Walberg resigned on Jan. 18, will keep that job for the rest of the season. Asbury will take over next season, athletic director John Watson said today.

The Waves are 9-18 and 3-8 in the West Coast Conference.

Asbury will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday.

"For 15 years he was a major reason why Pepperdine was the class of the West Coast Conference," Watson said. "I'm elated that he has decided to return home."

Asbury was an assistant under Jim Harrick at Pepperdine from 1980-88, then became head coach. He took the Waves to NCAA tournament berths in 1991, '92 and '94, two NIT appearances and three regular-season WCC titles.

Asbury took over at Kansas State from 1995-2000, then worked at Alabama from 2004-07.