Oakland Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach Dan Hipsher announced his retirement Wednesday effective June 30.
“I would like to thank Greg Kampe, the athletic department and Oakland University for three enjoyable years,” said Hipsher. “It has been great being a part of Grizz Nation. With that said, my wife and I are looking forward to heading to our beach house and spending time with our friends, family and grandchildren. Go Golden Grizzlies.”
Hipsher joined the men’s basketball staff in May 2016, and helped the Golden Grizzlies capture their first-ever Horizon League regular season championship in 2016-17. Oakland won 25 games that season, the second-most in program history, and defeated Clemson in the opening round of the NIT in its first-ever appearance.
“This is a very bittersweet moment for me,” said Kampe. “I am saddened by this as Dan and I always wanted to coach together, and we were finally able to the past three years. At the same time, I am happy Dan is able to retire and spend time with his family. This is a very demanding and time-consuming business. I thank Dan for his dedication and appreciate the knowledge he provided to the program. He made me a better coach and Oakland a better place.”
Prior to Oakland, Hipsher spent 2013 to 2016 as the head coach of Texas Rio Grande Valley and was also as an assistant at Alabama, Arkansas and Dayton. His head coaching experience also included Stetson (1993-95) and Akron (1995-2004). He was a five-time conference coach of the year, making three NCAA tournament appearances, while winning five conference championships and capturing two conference tournament titles. As a head coach, he recorded over 250 wins, including more than 150 victories in conference play.
Hipsher spent six seasons as an assistant in the SEC, most notably as the associate head coach for Alabama from 2009-13. During his time with the Crimson Tide, they appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and made a pair of NIT appearances with a runner-up finish in 2011. During his time at Arkansas, the Razorbacks made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007.
Hipsher graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology. He was a two-time captain and academic All-American for the Falcons and was teammates with Kampe at BGSU.
Oakland Associate Head Basketball Coach Hipsher Retires
