In his first season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Jason Grunkemeyer cemented his value to the RedHawk staff. In addition to helping Miami to its fourth-straight postseason appearance, Grunkemeyer quickly earned the respect and trust of the players and staff, which proved crucial over the final weeks of the season.

Grunkemeyer joined the Miami staff in September of 2007 after spending six years on the Saint Louis University men's basketball staff.

"Jason Grunkemeyer was a very good player for Miami University. He played on our most-celebrated team, the Sweet 16 team in 1998-99," said Miami head coach Charlie Coles.

"Jason is best known at Miami for hitting game-winning shots and will always be remembered by Miami fans as a true clutch player. Bringing Jason back as an assistant coach is quite a bonus for Miami University. He was our top candidate. He coached six years at St. Louis University, starting out with Lorenzo Romar and finishing up with Brad Soderberg, and he did an outstanding job at St. Louis."

Grunkemeyer joined the Billiken program following his graduation from Miami in May of 2001 where he assumed a director of operations role. After a year, Grunkemeyer was promoted to an assistant coach and was an assistant coach for the Billikens for five years.

During his time at Saint Louis, the Billikens made back-to-back National Invitation Tournament appearances, advancing to the second round in both 2003 and 2004. In 2006-07, Saint Louis compiled a 20-13 mark, the program's first 20-win season since 1997-98.

As a player at Miami, Grunkemeyer helped the RedHawks to a regular-season MAC title and the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 1999 and was a part of three Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game appearances amidst a league-record, five-consecutive MAC Tournament title game berths. The 1998-99 squad tied a program record for wins in a season, going 24-8, and won the program's 20th Mid-American Conference title.

A consistent long-range threat for the RedHawks, Grunkemeyer ranks sixth on Miami's career 3-point field goal list (152) and fifth on the 3-point field-goal percentage chart (.418). His .462 3-point field goal percentage in 2000 ties for fourth on Miami's single-season list.

Grunkemeyer also ranks eighth on the RedHawks' career free-throw percentage chart (.802) and seventh on the single-season free-throw percentage list (.843 in 2001).

Grunkemeyer spent one year at Ohio University (1996-97) before transferring to Miami University. He was an honorable mention all-MAC selection for the RedHawks in 2001 and also was named to the MAC all-tournament team in 2001.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Grunkemeyer was an all-state selection and Greater Catholic League MVP as a senior at Moeller High School.

Grunkemeyer earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami in 2001. He and his wife, Angie, have a newborn son, Joshua.