Ron Gates

Ron Gates was Jay Pivec’s assistant coach for two decades with the MCTC Mavericks. His basketball roots go all the way back to the mid-1960s when he played point guard for Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, N.Y. His coach was basketball legend, Marv Kessler, who is regarded as one of the master teachers of the game.

From there, Gates went to the University of Tennessee to play for another legend, Ray Mears. Gates was a 5’8” freshman point guard for the Volunteers. He continued his college career, earning a bachelor’s degree in business from Metropolitan State University and a Masters in Education in physical education from the University of Minnesota.

Gates served as assistant coach for the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Rams in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He began his storied career at MCTC in 1990. “If you look at any successful college basketball program, one contributing factor is the longevity of the assistants,” said Blue Knights Head Coach Jay Pivec. “Ron Gates was my assistant for all my 20 seasons at MCTC. He is without question an invaluable asset. Naming him as the associate head coach at DCTC is only fitting. He develops strong relationships with his players and his basketball acumen is second to none.”

One highlight of Gates’ brilliant career was his six-week stint as the assistant coach to Herb Brown, the NBA coaching great, for the U.S. team at the 17th World Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish athletic event much like the Olympics. Held every four years in Israel, the Maccabiah Games attract thousands of Jewish competitors from as many as 60 countries around the globe. Brown and Gates led the U.S. team to a bronze medal at the 2005 Games.

Gates resides with his wife of 36 years in Edina, Minn. The couple has two children.