UNT men’s basketball head coach Ross Hodge hired former Southeastern Louisiana assistant coach Mike Randle on Thursday to be an on-floor assistant coach for the reigning 2023 NIT champion Mean Green.
Randle joins Hodge’s staff after a successful season at Southeastern where he helped lead the Lions to an 18-14 overall record and a top-three finish in the Southland Conference with a 12-6 league record. SLU’s 12 league wins were tied for its most since 2018.
“I am excited to have Mike join our basketball program,” Hodge said. “He has an energetic and infectious personality that attracts people to him. His ability to connect with student-athletes, staff, and alumni will be a tremendous asset to UNT. He is tireless worker and has built meaningful relationships throughout the country.”
The Lions were one of the most balanced teams in the conference but featured one of the nation’s most secure offenses. Southeastern played a quicker tempo and averaged over 77.5 points per game and were one of the nation’s best at not turning the ball over and making 3-pointers. The Lions connected on nearly 37 percent of their shots from long range and turned the ball over less than 17 percent of the time.Randle was instrumental in mentoring the Lions’ newcomer Boogie Anderson to a first team all-league honor. Anderson led the Lions in scoring (14.1 ppg), assists (4.4 apg) and steals (1.2 spg).
Prior to Southeastern Louisiana, Randle made a name for himself in the junior college ranks. He spent the 2021-22 season at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida, as an assistant coach and helped guide the River to a 28-5 record, a conference championship and seven all-conference selections and a first team all-American honoree in AJ Cajuste. For its success, Indian River State College’s staff led by head coach Charlie Wilson were named the Coach of the Year.
Prior to IRSC, Randle spent the 2020-21 season at Kilgore College as an assistant coach helping lead the Rangers to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time since 2013. Killgore finished with an 18-6 overall record in the COVID shortened season. Randle mentored NJCAA All-American Dantwan Grimes that season who later transferred to Baylor.
Randle, a Houston native and 2015 graduate from Eastern New Mexico State, began his playing career at Paris Junior College and led them to a NJCAA Region XIV conference championship. Hodge is an alum and the former head coach at Paris from 2005-09.
Randle is joining a UNT men’s basketball program coming off its most successful season in its history. The Mean Green won a program-record 31 games last season to go along with tying the program-record for conference wins (16). UNT earned a bid into the 2023 National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Alcorn State, Sam Houston, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and UAB in route to its first NIT championship in program history.
North Texas, which has now won a championship trophy in each of the last four seasons, elevated associate head coach Ross Hodge to head coach on April 2 and will make the move to the American Athletic Conference next season.
