Lehigh head men’s basketball coach Brett Reed announced on Friday the promotion of Noel Hightower to assistant coach, replacing the recently-departed Austen Rowland. Hightower spent last season as the Mountain Hawks’ director of basketball operations after graduating from Chestnut Hill as a two-sport athlete.
Last season, Hightower managed day-to-day operations of the program as Lehigh advanced to its second straight Patriot League Championship Game.
“Noel has done an excellent job since joining our program,” said Reed. “He is intelligent, hardworking and relates very well with people around him, including our student-athletes. I have every confidence that he will excel in his new role and be a strong contributor to our basketball program.”
As a student-athlete at Chestnut Hill, Hightower won the Athletic Director’s Award presented annually to the male and female student-athlete who best demonstrates dedication to the mission of the college, and excels in his or her sport of choice. As a senior, Hightower averaged 6.1 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game while serving as the heart and soul of the Griffins’ defense. For his career, he ranked second in school history in rebounds (577), second in offensive rebounds (225), fifth in defensive rebounds (352), seventh in rebounds per game (5.4), second in blocks (114) and fifth in steals (128). Hightower was also a standout track and field athlete, highlighted by winning a CACC Individual Championship in 2015 in the 110-meter hurdles.
Hightower has shown tremendous leadership as a member of Lehigh’s staff, and as a player when he served as a three-year captain. He was also a member of Chestnut Hill College’s Diversity Committee, vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Presidential Leadership Award winner and the 2015 conference representative at the NCAA Leadership Forum.
Hightower has basketball experience outside of playing. He served as director of a 3 vs. 3 Basketball Tournament where he managed the tournament’s operations, and assisted in game management at Chestnut Hill athletic events. Hightower was also a camp counselor at Lehigh’s summer camps from 2013 through 2015. This is where Reed really became more familiar with Hightower, his basketball and personal strengths.
“Noel was a stand-out counselor and it was impossible not to recognize his great potential in this profession,” said Reed.
The Mountain Hawks finished the 2016-17 season with a 20-12 record, Lehigh’s fourth time reaching 20 wins in the last eight seasons. Lehigh earned an impressive win over eventual Ivy League Champion Princeton while finishing 4-2 against eventual NCAA Tournament teams. The Mountain Hawks continue to put themselves in contention for a championship, reaching the title game for the fourth time in the last eight years.
http://www.lehighsports.com/news/2017/6/2/mens-basketball-hightower-promoted-to-assistant-coach.aspx
