Gary Waters

With over 40 seasons in college basketball, Gary Waters is a celebrated coach, leader, and mentor. Over his 21-year head coaching career at Kent State, Rutgers, and Cleveland State, he amassed 365 wins and led 12 teams to postseason tournaments.

Respected by his peers, Waters contributed to USA Basketball, coaching the USA Junior World Championship qualifying team in 2002. His impact earned him inductions into three Hall of Fames: Ferris State Athletic Hall of Fame (2002), Kent State Varsity “K” Hall of Fame (2006), and the Detroit High School Hall of Fame (2019).

Waters has received several national honors, including the John Lotz “Barnabas” Award (2010), Master Coach Award (2015), and was a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award in 2014 and 2015. He also made history as the first non-faculty recipient of Cleveland State’s President’s Medal in 2017.

Beyond coaching, Waters has been a commissioner for the NCAA College Basketball Academy, a member of the NIT Selection Committee (2022), and an NABC Board Director (2015-2017). He has also pioneered character development workshops for law enforcement and education.

An accomplished author, Waters has written "Ten Principles of a Character Coach" and "Coaching Millennials from a Character Perspective" (2024).

Now retired, Gary resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife Bernadette, their two children, and seven grandchildren.

KEYNOTE TOPICS

• Character Coach Principles
• Character Development
• Basketball Coaching Strategies
• Character Driven Culture
• Leadership Training
• Personal Development Coaching
• Mentorship Programs
• Coaching Millennials from a Character Perspective
• NIL Management Programs
• Professional Development Training