Daily Dirt – 3/30/23

Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)


I have heard that new Northwestern State head coach Rick Cabrera will hire Hayden Harkins as an assistant coach, and Chad Bailey as the DBO. They were both on his staff last season at Tallahassee CC. Harkins has also worked as an assistant at Pearl River CC, and was a GA at Arkansas State. Bailey was a GA at Southeastern Louisiana before being hired at TCC in 2021. Sounds like the other two assistant spots are filled as well – hope to have those names shortly.


I have heard that Charleston Southern Associate head coach Tee Butters is in the mix to join Brian Hodgson’s new staff at Arkansas State. Butters has been at CSU for the past seven seasons, was a GA at Clemson before that.


Another former Alabama assistant starting to assemble a staff…it sounds like new Georgia Southern head coach Charlie Henry It also sounds will retain associate head coach Chris Shumate, who has spent the past three seasons at CSU. Shumate has also worked at Cincinnati, Southern Miss, Tennessee, Western Kentucky and Northern Kentucky.


Incase you missed it from earlier this week, I confirmed Tobin Anderson’s staff at Iona HERE.


Last night, I reported that Lipscomb assistant Kevin Carroll got the job at D2 Trevecca Nazarene (D2 DIRT). I have now heard that he’s not the only Lipscomb staffer on the move. Word on the street is that DBO Xavier Holland is in the mix to join Paul Mills new staff at Wichita State.


I tweeted yesterday that Parker has the Valpo search. I’m still hearing that Iowa State’s JR Blount is in the mix, but sounds like they are currently conducting interviews (around like 4-6). Other names making the rounds here are Grand Canyon assistant Ed Schilling (an Indiana native who has also been an assistant at Indiana and UCLA), and Indiana Wesleyan head coach Greg Tonagel (a Valpo alum who has won almost 500 games at IWU).


It sounds like Sam Houston associate head coach Chris Mudge is still working on contingency plans incase he doesn’t get SHSU. I mentioned earlier this week that he was in the mix at D2 Arkansas Fort Smith. I have also heard from multiple sources that he interviewed at D2 UT Tyler as well. Still perplexing as the why SHSU still hasn’t just hired him yet.


HoopDirt.com’s up-to-date list of college basketball coaching changes at the D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO levels can be found HERE.