One of the winningest active Division I coaches with over 300 career wins and eight NCAA Tournament appearances to his credit, Bruce Weber was named the 24th head men's basketball coach at Kansas State on March 31, 2012 by Director of Athletics John Currie. A longtime assistant to K-State alumnus Gene Keady at first, Western Kentucky (1979-80), then Purdue (1981-98) before a successful head coach career at both Southern Illinois (1998-03) and Illinois (2003-12), Weber has been a part of more than 700 wins and 28 postseason appearances in his 33-year coaching career, which includes 23 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

"I could not be more excited about the opportunity that has presented itself here at K-State," said Weber. "I'm excited and happy to come to a place that has great tradition. When I've talked with people over the last couple of weeks, the main thing they emphasize to me -- my mentors and peers -- that I just don't take any job. So I'm very fortunate to take a job where there is already something built. Frank [Martin] has created a positive culture, along with Bob Huggins. It makes it easier as a coach when you go to a place that has tradition. You understand you don't have to recreate, you don't have to re-energize and, obviously, there's some pretty good players here that have had success in both the Big 12 and even in the NCAA Tournament. This is a tremendous job for me."

Weber agreed to a 5-year contract, which was approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors and President Kirk Schulz, and runs through the 2016-17 season.

Weber, 56, has compiled a 313-155 (.669) in his 14 seasons as a head coach, which includes stints at Southern Illinois (1998-03) and Illinois (2003-12). His .669 winning percentage ranks 28th among active Division I head coaches, including third among head coaches in the Big 12 Conference, while his 313 wins are the 11th-most by a head coach in his first 14 seasons in NCAA history. his teams have participated in postseason play in 10 of his 14 seasons, including eight NCAA Tournament appearances. He has won 11 NCAA Tournament games, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2002, 2004 and 2005, while his 2004-05 Illinois squad played North Carolina for the NCAA title.

Weber's teams have won a combine five conference regular season and tournament championships, including the 2002 and 2003 Missouri Valley Conference and 2004 and 2005 Big Ten Conference regular season titles. He has won 20 or more games in all but four of his 14 campaigns, including an Illinois school-record 37 wins in 2004-05, and he has averaged 22.4 victories a season in his head coaching career.

Weber has won numerous Coach of the Year honors in his career, including consensus National Coach of the Year accolades in 2005 en route to guiding Illinois to the National Championship game. Among the National Coach of the Year awards earned by Weber in 2005 were the Naismith Award, The Associated Press, Adolph F. Rupp Cup, U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Henry Iba Award, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Chevrolet/CBS, The Sporting News and Basketball Times. He was also selected as the 2003 Missouri Valley Conference and 2005 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

In all, Weber has 33 years of college coaching experience, which includes 19 seasons as an assistant coach for coaching legend Gene Keady, a native of Garden City, Kan., and 1958 Kansas State graduate. Weber spent his entire assistant coaching career with Keady, first at Western Kentucky (1979-80) and then Purdue (1981-98). The coaching duo helped the Hilltoppers to the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles and a trip to NCAA Tournament in 1980 before moving to West Lafayette and the Purdue Boilermakers the following season. In Weber's 18 years at Purdue, the Boilermakers won six Big Ten titles, played in 14 NCAA Tournaments and made three NIT appearances.

All told, Weber has been a part of more than 700 victories, 23 NCAA Tournament appearances and 11 conference championships in his coaching career, which has included stops at Western Kentucky, Purdue, Southern Illinois and Illinois.

Weber is also actively involved in USA Basketball, where he serves on the Men's Junior National Committee with Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, North Carolina's Roy Williams and Washington's Lorenzo Romar, which selects coaches and athletes for USA Basketball college-aged competitions, including the World University Games, FIBA U19 World Championships, FIBA Americas U18 Championships and Pan American Games. He also served as an assistant coach for the USA Team at the World University Games in 1989 and head court coach for the Pan American team trials in 1991. Weber assisted Gene Keady in preparation for the Jones Cup, World University Game and Pan American Games while an assistant at Purdue.

Weber is involved in a number of charities, most notably Coaches vs. Cancer. He has been one of the nation's most active coaches in the program, currently serving on the organization's Council, and was the recipient of the 2007 Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award.

Weber began his coaching career in his hometown of Milwaukee, where he started as a volunteer assistant at Madison (Wisc.) High School before becoming a varsity assistant at Marquette University (Wisc.) High School. Weber, 56, earned his bachelor's degree in education from Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1978 and a master's degree in education administration and physical education from Western Kentucky in 1981.

Weber and his wife, Megan, of 32 years, have three daughters: Hannah, Christy and Emily.

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