Ole Miss men’s basketball head coach Kermit Davis has announced the addition of associate athletics director Bobby Lutz to the program’s support staff. Bringing 21 years of head coaching experience that resulted in nearly 400 wins, Lutz joins the Rebels as a special assistant to Davis, directing strategic planning and analytics.
“I have known Bobby for about 30 to 35 years, and we are very excited to have him join Ole Miss Basketball,” said Davis. “Bobby has had tremendous success as a head coach, taking teams to multiple NCAA Tournaments. He has been an assistant in the G League, at NC State, and was with Fred (Hoiberg) last year at Nebraska. I think Bobby is going to bring great value to our players, our staff, and I look forward to being with him day to day.”
Lutz (pronounced LOOTS) comes to Oxford after spending the past two seasons as special assistant to head coach Fred Hoiberg at Nebraska. While he also spent time in the professional ranks as an assistant in the NBA G League, Lutz is known for his career in college basketball. In 21 seasons as a head coach, he made 14 postseason appearances. Twelve of those seasons were at his alma mater, Charlotte, where he became the winningest coach in school history.
“I am thrilled to join Coach Davis and his staff at Ole Miss,” said Lutz. “I have admired his successful teams for years and look forward to being a small part of this outstanding program. There is no doubt that Oxford is a special place, and the best is yet to come.”
Before joining with him at Nebraska, Lutz worked with Hoiberg in the Chicago Bulls organization. He served as an assistant with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League during the team’s inaugural season. The duo also coached Iowa State during the 2010-11 season, Hoiberg as head coach and Lutz as an assistant, helping the Cyclones record their highest win total in five years.
Lutz reunites with Ole Miss assistant coach Levi Watkins as the two worked together at NC State. In five seasons with the Wolfpack (2012-16), including four as associate head coach, Lutz helped guide the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths which included two appearances in the Sweet 16. NC State won 108 games during his time in Raleigh, and in 2015, CoachStat.com tabbed him as the best X’s and O’s assistant coach in the nation. In his career as an assistant coach, spanning 11 seasons, Lutz’s teams made eight postseason appearances (six NCAA Tournaments, two NITs).
Spending 12 seasons as the head coach of Charlotte (1999-2010), his alma mater, Lutz became the winningest coach in school history with a 218-158 record. During his tenure, he led the 49ers to eight postseason appearances (five NCAA Tournaments, three NITs). Lutz also guided Charlotte to three Conference USA titles (1999, 2001, 2004), while coaching 10 first team all-conference players. He is the only coach in program history to make consecutive NCAA Tournaments twice over his career, building four top-20 recruiting classes to get the team to the big dance. Five of the program’s eight wins over top-10 opponents occurred with Lutz at the helm, including a memorable win over No. 3 Cincinnati in 1999.
The Denver, North Carolina, native was named Conference USA Coach of the Year by ESPN.com and CollegeInsider.com in 2005, the same year he became a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. In his first season in Charlotte, the Birmingham News tabbed Lutz as the 1999 C-USA Coach of the Year.
Before getting promoted to head coach, Lutz was an assistant coach at Charlotte for three seasons (1996-98) assisting Jeff Mullins for one year and working for Mullins’ successor, Melvin Watkins, for two years. The 49ers went 56-35 and made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments when Lutz was an assistant for Watkins.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Lutz turned NAIA school Pfeiffer (Misenheimer, N.C.) into a national powerhouse as head coach from 1986 to 1995. He tallied a 181-91 record and led the program to six straight NAIA Tournament berths, including a trio of Final Four appearances. Two of the Final Four losses came at the hands of Oklahoma City, a program coached by Ole Miss assistant coach Win Case. Lutz’s squad defeated Case and Oklahoma City in 1995 to prevent back-to-back national championship teams for the assistant coach. Lutz had a .785 winning percentage (153-42) from 1990-95, and he developed 10 NAIA All-Americans during his time on the sidelines.
Lutz began his coaching career in 1984 as an assistant coach for Cliff Ellis at Clemson. He spent two seasons with the Tigers.
Lutz graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1980 with a degree in economics and psychology, using a 3.82 GPA to receive with High Honors. He earned three other degrees: Lenoir-Rhyne, 1981 (A.B. Secondary Education); Winthrop, 1985 (M.A.T. Secondary Social Studies); Clemson, 1986 (M.A. Education – Administration & Supervision). He is a member of Pfeiffer’s Athletics Hall of Fame and the UNC Charlotte Alumni Hall of Fame.
Lutz and his wife, Janet, have two adult daughters, Natalie and Christine. The couple also has one grandson, Wesley.
Kermit Davis Adds Longtime Coach Bobby Lutz to Ole Miss Basketball Staff
