George Nessman was appointed the San Jose State University men's basketball head coach in March 2005. As he heads into his eighth season, the program is positioned for near and long-term competitive and academic success.

The accomplishments are numerous in his first seven seasons. Prior to Nessman's arrival, single-digit season win totals were the norm. The 2010-11 season is the current high-water mark. The Spartans posted their first winning record in 17 seasons, advanced to the semifinal round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time, won more games in one season since 1981 and returned to post-season action for the first time since 1996.

San Jose State saw a period of four straight seasons of 13 or more wins (2008-11). The Spartans have not done that since 1985 through 1988.

The 2009-10 team was the university's best playing at home in years with a 10-4 win-loss record. A seven-game home floor winning streak at The Event Center is the longest since the building opened in 1989 and the longest by a Spartan squad since the 1981 team won 10 in a row on a home court. The 2010 team set school records for most points scored (2,289) and free throw accuracy (72.8 percent) in a season.

The 2008-09 team's five road victories were the most by a Spartan team in eight seasons, part of a 13-17 record and helped San Jose State finish in a sixth place tie in the conference standings - the best WAC finish since 2000. 

The 2007-08 team was one of the nation's most improved based on win totals. The Spartans captured the season-opening First Shot Exempt Tournament hosted by Middle Tennessee State. San Jose State picked up road wins against Big Sky Conference champion Portland State and topped cross-county rival Santa Clara for the first time since 2003. 

The Spartans were the most successful WAC team in 2007-08 in games decided by four points or less with a 9-4 record. Wins in The Event Center over Nevada and Utah State were part of San Jose State's first winning record at home since 2000-01. A Western Athletic Conference Tournament victory for the first time since 2002 capped the best San Jose State season in seven years.

His second season, 2006-07, clearly was one with a youth movement in place. With the third youngest team in the country based on previous major college playing experience, Nessman faced one of the nation's most challenging schedules in 2006-07 according to the in-season Sagarin Ratings. Undaunted, his team doubled its conference win total from his first season at the helm.

Nessman is the first San Jose State men's basketball coach to successfully organize a summer overseas tour. The Spartans spent a week in the United Kingdom in 2007 and spent nine days in Italy in 2011.

The European trips are consistent with his philosophy of placing the program in the spotlight. The Spartans played at Duke, Texas Tech and Michigan State with Nessman facing legendary coaches Mike Kryzyewski, Bob Knight and Tom Izzo, respectively.   

In his first season, the Spartans ended long road losing streaks both in conference and non-conference action. Home attendance increased by 20 percent.  

In his first six seasons at San Jose State, his student-athletes earned eight Western Athletic Conference All-Academic awards. Guard Adrian Oliver was a two-time first-team All-WAC pick and a 2011 Lute Olson All-American. Guard Justin Graham was named to the 2011 All-Defensive team and was an honorable mention All-WAC choice.

Nessman took over the Spartans' position after one season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of California in 2004-05.

Entering his 24th season as a head coach, his teams at the high school, community college and major college levels have won 424 games, placed first in a league or conference nine times and won a state championship. He is 68-119 at San Jose State. 

One of his most significant coaching accomplishments was directing Porterville College to a 33-4 win-loss record, a Central Valley Conference title and the school's first California Community College championship in 2000. Between January 2000 and February 2001, Porterville College won 40 consecutive games covering two seasons - one of the longest winning streaks in the California Community College system's history.

The 2000 California Community College Coach of the Year produced five 20-game winners in nine seasons and a 178-76 win-loss record. Before his arrival, Porterville had four consecutive losing seasons and did not have a plus-.500 winning percentage in 11 years. Nearly 90 percent of the sophomores he coached at Porterville and Bakersfield Colleges continued their college careers at four-year institutions.

In addition to his coaching duties at Porterville, he served the school as its director of athletics from 1995 through 2001 and was the academic advisor for athletics in 2001-02.

The 1981 University of California graduate started his coaching career at age 22 as the junior varsity and cross country coach at Salesian High School in Richmond, Calif. 

After three seasons, he became the boys' varsity basketball assistant coach at Concord, California's De La Salle High School in 1984.  Two seasons later, he took over the head coaching position at De La Salle and went on to produce a 155-48 win-loss record, five conference championships, one North Coast Section crown and four appearances in the Northern California Tournament of Champions. Two of his most prominent Spartans were future NBA players Jon and Brent Barry.

The 53-year-old native of Stamford, Conn., has two master's degrees - one in education from San Francisco State University in 1988 and a second in physical education and recreation from Saint Mary's College in 1993. Nessman is the only current coach in the Western Athletic Conference to earn two master's degrees. He and his wife, Nancy, have four children - Joshua, a student at San Jose State; Veronica, a University of California graduate; Peter and John.