Story Courtesy: Chip Merritt LSU New Orleans Athletic Communications
LSU New Orleans men’s basketball coach Stacy Hollowell has announced that former New Mexico Highlands University head coach Zach Settembre has joined his staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“This game has taken me a lot of places, and I’m thankful every step led me to LSU New Orleans working for a great man and a national championship winning head coach. I’m extremely grateful to Coach Hollowell for this opportunity to join the Privateer family,” said Settembre.
“From the moment I arrived at Lakefront Arena, I could feel the culture, the energy, and the belief that Coach Stacy and his staff have built. I’m excited to pour everything I have into this program, helping our players compete, grow, and lead while working alongside a great staff every day.”
Settembre spent a single season in Las Vegas, N.M. and led the Cowboys to their first winning season in league play in six seasons. His team finished 13-19 overall with an 11-9 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, earning him a three-year contract extension.
After qualifying for the RMAC tournament for the first time since 2022, the Cowboys reached the quarterfinals before falling by a single point in overtime at Colorado Mesa. Under his tutelage, Marcus Pierce was named second-team All-RMAC and Ramiah Adedigba was named honorable mention All-RMAC.
Prior to his season at NMHU he spent two different seasons as an assistant at Tarleton State (2022-2023 and 2024-2025) and one as an assistant coach at New Mexico State (2024-2025). During his first stint in Stephenville the Texans posted a 17-17 record – the most Div. I wins in program history at the time, and earned the first bid in school history to the WAC tournament as a seven seed.
They picked up their first WAC tournament win in program history as well, knocking off 10th seeded UTRGV. That team also earned its first Div. I postseason birth as well – a trip to the CBI as the No. 7 seed. Freddy Hicks earned second team All-WAC, and Shamir Bogues – who led the WAC in steals – was named to the WAC All-Defensive team.
During his lone season on the bench in Las Cruces, he helped the Aggies to a top three defense in the league – allowing opponents to shoot just 42.1% from the floor. New Mexico State was also one of the best in the country with only 11.9 turnovers per game on the offensive end of the floor.
Before his first stint at Tarleton State, Settembre was an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina during the 2021-2022 season. He helped the Chanticleers to a 19-14 record, and three postseason wins in The Basketball Classic. Vince Cole was named second-team All-Sun Belt that season.
Settembre spent three memorable seasons at Tallahassee Community College, now known as Tallahassee State College. He began as an assistant coach in 2018 before serving two seasons as head coach, ending his tenure in 2021. In his two seasons as head coach, the Eagles compiled a 46-9 record, won two Panhandle Conference championships, and Settembre was named Conference Coach of the Year both times. The back-to-back conference championships were the program’s first since 1996.
He coached guard El Ellis to Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, as well as NJCAA All-American honors. Tariq Silver was also named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year during his tenure. During Settembre’s two seasons as head coach, seven Eagles were named All-Panhandle Conference. Ten student-athletes from his 2019-20 squad went on to sign National Letters of Intent with Division I programs, and all 15 student-athletes went on to play at four-year institutions. He also led the Eagles to the first NJCAA National Tournament at-large bid in program history in 2020.
Zach got his coaching career started as a freshman basketball coach at Iroquois HS (2012-2013) and Ballard HS (2013-2014) before joining Happy Osbourne’s staff at Kentucky Wesleyan where he had an active role in both recruiting and the administration of summer camps.
Following his brief stint at Kentucky Wesleyan, Settembre operated a private financial planning practice with Northwestern Mutual for three years in Louisville, Ky. While in the private sector, Settembre spent two seasons as a high school assistant – one at Ballard (2014-2015) and one at Louisville Collegiate School – before the latter named him the varsity boys head coach in March 2017, and he delivered a record-breaking season.
Louisville Collegiate won a school record 23 games in 2017-18, made its second-ever trip to the All “A” state tournament, and he was named both the KABC (Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches) and Courier-Journal Seventh Region Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Settembre also fostered the development of Collegiate’s first-ever Courier-Journal 1st Team All 7th Region student-athlete, Chesimon Moore.
Settembre graduated from Syracuse in 2012 where he was a student manager under Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim. He earned his degree from Syracuse in just three years and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in public relations and a minor in religion. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from LSU Shreveport in 2020.
