Angelo State Head Basketball Coach Vinay Patel announces the hiring of Mark Rutledge and Connor Moore as assistant coaches to round out the coaching staff for the upcoming 2022-23 season, Patel’s first at the helm of the Ram Basketball program.
Mark Rutledge joins Coach Patel’s staff after four years on the coaching staff at Henderson State, where he also served as Associate Head Coach for the past two seasons under Reddies head coach Jimmy Elgas.
Rutledge helped guide the Reddies to the 2019-20 Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament Championship, the program’s first conference title since 2003, clinching a berth to the NCAA Central Regional. In his time in Arkadelphia, Rutledge helped recruit and develop ten All-GAC selections. The Reddies had a 100 percent graduation rate in the classroom in Rutledge’s tenure.
Before his time at Henderson State, Rutledge’s first foray into coaching was at Southern Arkansas, where he served as a graduate assistant for a season.
As a player, Rutledge played two seasons for the University of Central Arkansas from 2010-12, starting 56 out of a possible 57 games. He averaged 8.7 points per game and shot 43 percent from the floor. Before that, he played at Connors State College, being named Second Team All-Region.
Rutledge graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Health Education from Central Arkansas and earned his master’s degree in Sports Administration from Henderson State.
“I am excited to add Mark to our staff at Angelo State. He brings an incredible amount of energy and experience to our staff and has a great understanding of NCAA Division II basketball,” said Patel. “He is elite at building relationships with people. This will not only help in recruiting, but with current players, coworkers, and supporters of our program. His work ethic and passion for the job and helping young people will be a tremendous asset for what we are working towards.”
Also joining Coach Patel’s staff is Connor Moore. Moore comes to San Angelo from Rogers State, where he served as a volunteer assistant for one season and graduate assistant for the past two seasons for the Hillcats under head coach Justin Barkley.
In his time in Claremore, Oklahoma, the Hillcats accumulated a 51-32 overall record. Moore helped guide the Hillcats to the NCAA Central Regional in the 2019-20 season and coached eight All-MIAA selections in his three seasons.
On the court, Moore played four seasons at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. In his senior season, Moore shot 42.9 percent from the field. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Hamline and earned his MBA from Rogers State.
“We couldn’t be happier to bring Connor on to our staff. He worked for a very good friend of mine and brings valuable NCAA Division II experience with him,” said Patel. “Connor is a player’s coach and will do anything to help our players succeed. He has a true blue-collar work ethic that fits right into what we are trying to build at ASU. Coach Moore has a tremendous basketball mind and will be involved in all facets of our program.”
