TCU men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon announced the hiring of Ontario Lett as special assistant to the head coach.
“I’m thrilled to have Ontario join us at TCU as the final piece of our staff this season,” said Dixon. “Ontario was an integral part of turning our program around at Pitt. He’ll provide great insight for program due to his coaching experience and his time as a player in college and overseas.”
Lett joined the TCU staff following two seasons as a member of the staff at Pittsburgh. In the role of graduate manager, Lett’s duties included assisting the coaching staff in developing game strategies, breaking down game film, planning practices and contributing in staff meetings.
“I’m excited to be here at TCU and thankful to Coach Dixon for giving me a chance to be at his Alma Mater,” said Lett, who was an impactful part of former Pitt coach Ben Howland’s first team to make the NCAA tournament. “I look forward to help this program continue to compete at a high level.”
Lett spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach at Pensacola Junior College, where he helped Pitt player Rozelle Nix develop into one of the top junior college centers in the country.
As a player, Lett was known for his toughness in the lane on both ends of the floor. He began his career at Pensacola Junior College where he earned first team All-Panhandle honors before transferring to Pitt for his final two years of eligibility.
The Panthers finished atop the Big East West Division and reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and 2003 with Lett patrolling the middle. He earned Big East All-Tournament team honors in 2002 after Pitt fell to Connecticut, 74-65, in overtime in the title game. Lett grabbed All-Big East honorable mention accolades as a senior as the Panthers won the Big East Championships and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Lett concluded his career with career averages of 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.9 percent from the field in 68 games.
Following his time as a player at Pitt, Lett spent 10 years playing professional basketball overseas in Australia, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Turkey.
The Pensacola, Fla., native graduated from Pittsburgh in 2003 with a social science degree. Lett earned his masters degree in health and physical activity in 2017. He and his wife, Vanesa, have one son, Ontario, Jr., and one daughter, Danya.
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