Southern Miss head men’s basketball coach Jay Ladner has announced the first two additions to his inaugural Golden Eagle staff. Kyle Roane, a 1995 Southern Miss graduate, has been hired as an assistant coach, while Garland Wilson will serve as the Director of Basketball Operations.

“I can’t be more excited that Coach Roane has agreed to join our staff here,” Ladner said. “In my opinion, he’s one of the top Division I assistants. He’s someone whose name resonates throughout our southern Mississippi footprint. He was a high school and junior college coach with vast Division I experience before he joined our staff at Southeastern Louisiana. He was instrumental in building our program there.”

Roane, a native of Brooklyn, Miss., was an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana under Ladner during the 2014-15 and 2017-19 seasons, including helping the team to the 2018 Southland Conference regular-season title. It stands as the Lions’ third, 20-win season in its Division I tenure (beginning in 1980). This past year’s team featured two First-Team All-SLC performers in Marlain Veal and Moses Greenwood, just the third time in program history that two Lions earned that distinction.

“I’m super excited to join Coach Ladner at Southern Miss,” Roane said. “This place is very unique to me in terms of being a graduate here. I’ve had unique situations to be employed prior to this tenure. It’s a special time at Southern Miss because of the enthusiasm that Coach Ladner’s hire has brought to the program.”

This marks Roane’s third stint as a Golden Eagle in his coaching career. He was an assistant coach from 1996-2000 under James Green before being named the associate head coach until 2003. During that time, Southern Miss had two, 22-win seasons, advancing to the NIT each year and winning the 2001 Conference USA regular-season championship. He also served as the Director of Operations under Doc Sadler for the 2016-17 season.

“I think Hattiesburg is a great place and city and that Southern Miss is a great school with a strong community,” Roane said. “Our men’s basketball program is on the verge of growing into something really special. I know how excited Coach Ladner is about being the head coach here, and it’s going to be great to share the passion he has for this place.”

Roane’s Pine Belt roots run deep. He has served at the helm at Forrest County Agricultural High School (2003-05, 2010-11), Pearl River Community College (2005-06), Jones County Junior College (2006-08), before rejoining Green at Jacksonville State from 2008-10 and returning to the high school ranks where he led Petal from 2011-14. 

That first head coaching stint saw back-to-back postseason appearances before helping the PRCC Wildcats to the South State Championship. His first foray into the coaching world was as an assistant for PRCC before and after he earned his degree in coaching and sport administration.

Roane is married to the former Brooke Dykes, and the couple has two children, Spencer and Shelby.

Wilson served the last three seasons as the director of basketball operations at Southeastern, where he supervised team travel, player personnel, basketball camps and other facets of the program.

“Garland Wilson is a coach with a lot of experience in operations,” Ladner said. “He’s my right-hand man and keeps me organized. I was honored to work with him at Southeastern Louisiana. Having someone with his experience not just from operations but from working with me personally shortens our learning curve here.”

Wilson previously served as director basketball operations at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. from 2012-16. He was also a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville State from January to May 2012 and the program’s head equipment manager from 2004-09.

“I’m excited to be here,” Wilson said. “I’ve worked with Coach Ladner in the past, and he had enough confidence to bring me here with him. It’s great to be at a higher level and continue to learn more things and help our program anyway I can.”

Wilson received a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in business marketing from Jacksonville State in 2009.

https://southernmiss.com/news/2019/5/1/kyle-roane-garland-wilson-named-to-mens-basketball-staff.aspx