The Indiana University South Bend men’s basketball team and head coach Scott Cooper announced the hiring of Austin Ervin as the assistant coach starting in the 2019-20 season on Wednesday, July 31.
“Austin will bring loads of college athletic experience to our athletes and I am really excited to have him join our staff,” commented Cooper. “We are constantly trying to develop our team and Austin will do just that. He comes from a great program up in Mt. Pleasant and was a very successful athlete both in college and high school.”
Ervin joins the Titans coaching staff after being a two-sport NCAA Division I student-athlete at Central Michigan University. The St. Johns, Mich. native was a member of the Chippewa football and men’s basketball programs.
Ervin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in sports management in May of 2019. As a member of the football program in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Ervin played mainly as a tight end from 2015-17 before switching to basketball.
Under head coach Keno Davis, Ervin played primarily as a forward and saw action on 17 separate occasions. In his senior campaign, the Chippewas finished 23-12 overall, tying for the program’s second-highest single-season win total. It marked the fifth consecutive season in which CMU finished .500 or better. The Chippewas earned a postseason bid for the fourth time in the last five years by accepting a bid to the College Basketball Invitational.
During his time at St. Johns High School, Ervin caught 34 career passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns. He earned Associated Press Division III All-State special mention in 2014. On the basketball court, Ervin was a two-time captain and averaged a double-double in his senior season.
Ervin also brings multiple community service experiences to South Bend. He participated in the March is Reading Month, Mile Madness and Youth Clinics as part of the CMU men’s basketball program all while volunteering at Quick Lane Gleaners Food Bank and Special Olympics as a member of the Chippewas football team.
The IU South Bend men’s basketball team is coming off a 2018-19 season going 13-17 overall, including a 8-12 stint in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference record. Under Cooper, the team concluded the year defeating Judson 93-71 in Elgin, Ill. and now hold a 7-6 advantage in the head-to-head matchup. Sophomore guard Dylan Allen was tabbed All-CCAC Honorable Mention after starting all 30 games for the Titans and leading the team in scoring with just over 13 points per contest.
