Ex-Hawkeye Kevin Gamble joins Keno Davis' Providence basketball staff

Kevin Gamble first met Keno Davis in 1986, when Davis was an adolescent.

On Monday, Providence men's basketball coach Davis hired Gamble to be his coordinator of  player development and video operations.

Gamble got into coaching eight years ago, as head coach at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in Gamble's hometown. He started the program from scratch, and amassed a 130-79 mark.

That UIS team is playing an exhibition game at Iowa this November, in fact.

Gamble was one of the mainstays of the 1986-87 Iowa team coached by Keno's father, Tom Davis, that won 30 games and reached the West Regional final of the NCAA tournament. It was his 3-pointer with three seconds left in overtime that beat Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

Gamble proceeded to play 649 games in the NBA.

Here's Larry Bird's quote in the Providence press release:

"It was great to have Kevin as a teammate," former Celtics star Larry Bird said. "He was very competitive and worked hard all the time. I know it has carried over into coaching. He's a good hire and a great addition for Providence."

Gamble joins another former Hawkeye player,

Rodell Davis, on Keno Davis' staff.