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Cougars Men's Basketball Camps
Coaching Staff
Kris Crosby
Assistant Coach
Kris Crosby will begin his fourth season on Lennox Forrester's staff in 2010-2011. Crosby is involved in all facets of the program, including game preparation, recruiting and travel planning.
Crosby works primarily with the Cougars' post players. He originally joined the staff as a graduate assistant before the 2007 season, after playing two seasons at SIUE under Head Coach Marty Simmons.
As a player at SIUE, Crosby averaged 2.7 points per game in two seasons. Playing in 49 games, Crosby saved the best for last with a 15-point effort in his senior day game against Bellarmine to end the 2004-05 season.
Crosby shot 52.9 percent from the field and proved equally as strong on both ends of the floor with 38 offensive rebounds and 44 defensive rebounds overall.
Crosby came to SIUE from Southwestern Illinois College and is a graduate of Belleville East High School. He was an honorable mention All-State selection his senior year for the Lancers.
He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications in August 2006, and a master's degree in education of kinesiology from SIUE in 2009.
Crosby and his wife, Andrea, have one son--five-year old Kristopher Jamir. The family resides in Edwardsville. Andrea was a four-year letter winner for the women's basketball program at SIUE.
Matt Laur
Assistant Coach
Matt Laur joined the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men's basketball program as an assistant coach in September 2009.
Laur came to SIUE following a season as Director of Basketball Operations at Ball State University. He was responsible for planning practice, travel planning, film exchange and breakdown, summer camp preparation, and academic mentoring for the Cardinals.
He was part of Ball State's Mid-American Conference West Division Championship and helped the Cardinals to a 14-17 record, as well as a MAC tournament semifinal finish. Laur also mentored 2008-2009 MAC Freshman of the Year Jarrod Jones.
Laur served as an assistant coach at Missouri Southern State in 2007-2008. While there, he was responsible for recruiting, scouting, practice planning, travel arrangements, and fund-raising. He helped coach the Lions to a 17-11 record and a third-place finish in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Laur spent three years as the head coach for the Steeleville High School basketball team. In 2004-2005 he led the Warriors to the most wins in school history when Steeleville finished with a 28-7 record and won a regional championship.
As a player, Laur starred at McKendree University from 1999-2003 where he was a four-time NAIA All-American. He was named the NAIA Division I Player of the Year and received Academic-All American Midwest Conference honors his senior season. Laur was a two-time AMC Player of the Year (2001 and 2003) and an AMC Freshman of the Year winner. Laur became the all-time record leader with 2,874 career points and is ranked among the Bearcats' best in blocked shots and rebounds. He scored in double figures for 74 consecutive games and set single-season school records for field goals made (393) and points scored (891).
Laur earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from McKendree in 2003. He also earned a master's in education from Missouri State University in 2010. After graduation, Matt played professionally in Europe for Geoplin Slovan before playing for the Columbus River Dragons of the National Basketball Developmental League.
Matt and his wife Carrie have a son, Ty. Carrie is an SIUE alumus.
Deryl Cunningham
Assistant Coach
Deryl Cunningham joined the men's basketball staff in July 2010, after most recently serving as an assistant with the Missouri Valley Conference Champion Indiana State. Cunningham worked with the Sycamores for three seasons. Indiana State went to the postseason in two of the three seasons while Cunningham served as a coach with the team. He previously spent time as an assistant coach with South Dakota State as a graduate assistant and a full-time assistant under former SIUE assistant Scott Nagy. Cunningham was part of the Jack Rabbits' move to Division I and their first season in the Summit League.
At Indiana State and South Dakota State, Cunningham was involved in all facets of the basketball programs, including recruiting, coaching, scouting, and scheduling. He worked primarily with the post players at both schools.
Prior to his time at South Dakota State, Cunningham spent two seasons as an assistant varsity basketball coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph's High School. He helped guide St. Joseph's to a conference title in 2003-2004 and a 28-2 record and a Regional Championship during the 2004-2005 season. The 2004-05 team finished the year ranked among USA Today's Top 20.
The Bellwood, Ill., native also has been an official for the Illinois High School Association.
While a player at St. Joseph's, Cunningham was tabbed as a 1989 Parade magazine All-American, which recognizes the top 25 high school players in the country. Cunningham was elected to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004 his jersey was retired by St. Joseph's. Cunningham is featured in Taylor Bell's 2006 book, Glory Days Illinois Legends of High School Basketball, which focuses on some of the greatest high school players from the 1940s through the 1990s.
Cunningham began his college playing career at DePaul before finishing at Kansas State where he played three seasons with the Wildcats. Cunningham led the team in rebounding in back-to-back seasons in 1992-1993 and 1993-1994. He remains seventh on the all-time rebounding list with 624 career rebounds with the Wildcats. His 295 boards during the 1993-94 season remains the ninth-highest total in a single season in school history. Kansas State earned a six seed in the NCAA tournament during his junior year, and the Wildcats were an NIT Final Four team in Cunningham's senior season. He was a two-time All-Big Eight Honorable Mention selection while at K-State, while leading the league in offensive rebounds for two consecutive years.
As a professional, Cunningham had a three-year career in the Continental Basketball Association. Cunningham was drafted by Sioux Falls where he played for current Washington Wizards Head Coach Flip Saunders. Cunningham also played for Omaha. He reached the Conference finals with both teams. He later played one season with the Saskatchewan Hawks where he averaged 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Cunningham also played five seasons of First Division basketball for clubs in Switzerland, the Philippines, France, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
Cunningham and his wife Maria have two children: Ciara and Braylon.
T.J. Gray
Director of Basketball Operations
T.J. Gray is his first season as SIUE's Director of Basketball Operations. He comes to SIUE after working with Full Package Athletics, helping athletes improve their basketball skills.
Gray is involved in many facets of the program including travel plans, practice preparation, managing the recruiting database and film exchange with opposing teams.
As a player, Gray spent one season as a player at SIUE, under coach Forrester. He earned All-GLVC Second Team honors in 2007-08, when he shattered the school record for three pointers made, making 102 triples during the season. Gray led the team in scoring, averaging 16.6 points for the season. He registered the most steals on the team for the season with 49, and also shot a team-best .833 from the free throw line.
He later played professionally with the Roseto Sharks in Italy's Serie C2. Gray, a Chicago native, currently resides in Edwardsville.
