Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Basketball names Koby Altman graduate assistant
09/03/2009 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Sept. 3, 2009
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Koby Altman has been named men's basketball graduate assistant at Southern Illinois University, the school announced Thursday.
Altman has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Amherst College, where he helped guide the team to a 48-11 record and Division III runner-up finish in the 2008 championship game. He worked with Saluki head coach Chris Lowery this past summer as the team manager and operations director for USA Basketball.
"He did such a great job of being organized and helping Coach (Matt) Painter and myself break down film," Lowery said. "When Tony Young left to go to Saint Louis, Koby was the first name that popped into my mind. He's extremely bright and brings with him a commitment to excellence."
Although the New York native grew up on the east coast, Altman said he is very familiar with the Saluki program.
"At Amherst, we used Chris Lowery's teaching tapes on how to play defense," he said. "I know how successful Saluki Basketball has been. Six-straight NCAA Tournaments is unbelievable. I'm honored to join the program."
Altman played collegiately at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he was a three-year starter at point guard. After college, he worked for three years in real estate investment sales for Friedman-Roth Realty Corp. in New York. Then the coaching bug bit.
"I felt that I needed to do something that I love, and I didn't want to be in front of the computer every day," he said. "I decided this is what I want to do -- I want to coach."
Altman started out as the freshman basketball coach at Xavier High School in New York City. In 2007, he took the post at Amherst, where he also earned a master's degree in sports management.
