Bringing a wealth of experience as a former professional player and collegiate coach, Arlington native Dwight Thorne II has been named the new UT Arlington men’s basketball assistant coach.
A standout at Arlington Martin High School from 2002-06, Thorne has spent the past five years as a member of the Denver men’s basketball staff, including the last two as an assistant coach. Prior to his time with the Summit League member, Thorne II served as a graduate assistant with Georgia Tech for the 2015-16 season.
Before getting into coaching, Thorne II played professionally oversees for three years in Europe. A 2010 graduate of Colorado, Thorne II finished his four-year career with the Buffaloes on their top-50 all-time scoring list and tied for the 9th-most games played in program history with 117.
“I am so excited to announce the hiring of Dwight to our men’s basketball staff,” said new UTA head coach Greg Young. “He was a tremendous player at Arlington Martin and then went on to a terrific career at the University of Colorado. I have known Dwight for several years and have followed his journey as a professional player and for the last six years as a member of a Division-I coaching staff.
“Dwight brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise to our staff, and I am excited to see how he invests in our players on a daily basis,” Young continued. “Dwight and his family are a perfect fit for our basketball family because – like the rest of our current staff and their families – they believe in what we are doing and genuinely care about our players.”
Thorne II joined the Denver staff in 2016 as the Pioneers’ Director of Operations, which is a role he served in for three years before being promoted to assistant coach in advance of the 2019-20 season. While with Georgia Tech as a grad assistant for the 2015-16 campaign, Thorne II was instrumental in helping the Yellow Jackets post a 21-15 overall record and reach the NIT Quarterfinals.
Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Thorne II spent a couple of years in the private business sector after a three-year professional playing career. He began his career with PS Karlsruhe in Germany for the 2010-11 season before spending some time in the NBA Development League (now the G League) prior to returning to Europe and playing two years in Athens as part of Greece’s top league. Thorne II wrapped up his professional career in Zadar, Croatia.
During his four-year career with Colorado, Thorne II – who served as a team captain – scored 750 points, grabbed 234 rebounds, issued 160 assists, recorded 80 steals and shot 81 percent from the free-throw line. While with the Buffaloes, Thorne II was one of 10 D-I players selected to participate on an Athletes In Action team for a one-week competitive international tour against teams in Poland and Germany during the summer of 2009.
Born in Dallas, Thorne II became the first player in Arlington Martin history to play on the varsity team all four years. An All-District and All-Region performer, Thorne II averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game as a junior before posting averages of 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists per contests as a senior.
Thorne II joins Young’s coaching staff, which also consists of associate head coach Royce Johnson and assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator Riley Davis. Both Johnson and Davis – who will be entering their third seasons with UTA in 2021-22 – were elevated from their assistant coach positions last month.
Dwight Thorne II Named Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at UT Arlington
Photo Courtesy UTA Athletics
