Player Bio: Michael Cotton - BUCKNELL OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Michael Cotton

	Last College: Boston College '00
	Position: Assistant Coach

Joining the Bison coaching staff in 2008-09 is Michael Cotton, a former Division I basketball standout at Oklahoma and Boston College.

Cotton comes to Bucknell from Durham, N.C., where he was head basketball coach at Kestrel Heights School and owner of Complete Player Development, LLC, a basketball instructional training program for players from elementary school through college. In 2007-08, Cotton led his Kestrel Heights team to the Central Carolina Athletic League regular-season title and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament, while also teaching algebra and science.

From 2005-07, Cotton was the head varsity basketball coach at Western Vance High School in Henderson, N.C. In addition to teaching algebra, he coached his team to a league title and an undefeated conference record. Cotton also coached at the prep level at Bonner Academy in Raleigh, N.C., in 2003-04. A year later he served as coordinator of Communities in Schools of Wake County, a program that served middle and high school students in the Raleigh area who were serving long-term suspensions from school.

Since graduating from Boston College with a degree in biopsychology in 2000, Cotton has also spent time working in the business and technical fields, and he has been quite active in AAU basketball in North Carolina. From 2001-03 he was head coach of the Garner Road YMCA AAU team; he was associate head coach of the Carolina Cougars from 2003-05; and he was head coach of the United Celtics in 2006-07, helping the 14-and-under team qualify for the Division I AAU National Championships.

The son of a U.S. Air Force serviceman, Cotton was born in Detroit, spent parts of his childhood in Texas, the Philippines, New Mexico and Alaska, and attended high school in Arkansas. His collegiate basketball career began at Oklahoma, and he transferred to Boston College following his sophomore year. As a 6'4" guard, Cotton was a starter for the Eagles during both his junior and senior seasons. He averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a junior and had a career-high 24-point game against Pittsburgh. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in his senior year. At Oklahoma, Cotton was named Big 12 Student of the Week and a Sooner Scholar, and he was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Mike Cotton comes extremely highly recommended from one of my closest friends in coaching, Pat Duquette, who is the associate head coach at Boston College," said Paulsen. "The minute I was hired at Bucknell, Pat said, `I've got the guy who is going to be a star in the profession.' Mike is the one member of the staff who I did not know previously, but after spending time with him, I knew quickly he was a slam dunk. He was a very good player and student at Boston College. He is very personable and knowledgeable, and I like the fact that he spent the last few years working as a high school coach and cultivating some contacts in North Carolina. He is going to be a terrific asset to us."

Michael and his wife, Kendra, have a daughter, Jarah (7), and two sons, Kael (4) and Rhys (1).