WAC

OFFICIAL: Gillion named Head Basketball Coach at Chicago State

Chicago State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Elliott Charles announced today the hiring of Samford University assistant men’s basketball coach Gerald Gillion as the new head coach of the Cougars men’s basketball team.    “Coach Gillion is a tremendously talented recruiter and mentor to students,” said Charles. “Gerald has proven that academic, career and leadership development and social engagement of student-athletes are

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Cooper named Assistant Coach at UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Tuesday the hiring of assistant coach Dean Cooper, who has been working with NBA organizations since 1999, including the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls. Cooper has coached some of the best offenses and defenses in the NBA. During

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OFFICIAL: Forte joins UTRGV MBB staff

Following up on something that I mentioned earlier in today’s DAILY DIRT. UTRGV has officially announced the hiring of Phil Forte. Here’s the release:  The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Monday the hiring of assistant coach Phil Forte, who was an assistant coach with future Western Athletic Conference opponent

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UTRGV names Cronn Coordinator of Basketball Operations

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Tuesday the hiring of Joe Cronn as the coordinator of basketball operations and men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach. Cronn worked with Figger at Austin Peay the last four seasons as the men’s basketball team’s director of strength & conditioning and also assumed the role of

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UTRGV names Johnson Assistant Basketball Coach

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Monday the hiring of assistant coach Nikita Johnson, who worked with Figger at Austin Peay the last two seasons. Over the last two years, Johnson helped Austin Peay to 35-25 (.583) record, including a 21-win season in 2019-20. “Nikita and I have a 30-year relationship

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Jans inks 6-yr extension at New Mexico State

Chris Jans is staying in the city of Las Cruces. In an announcement made Wednesday afternoon by NM State Director of Athletics Mario Moccia, Jans, the head coach of NM State’s men’s basketball team, agreed to a six-year contract extension which will keep the Fairbank, Iowa, native installed as the Aggies’ bench boss through April

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OFFICIAL: Figger tabbed Head Basketball Coach at UTRGV

 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Monday the hiring of 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Coach of the Year Matt Figger, who had been the head coach at Austin Peay for the last four seasons, as the new men’s basketball head coach. Figger will be formally introduced to

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Lew Hill earns WAC Coach of the Year Award

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s basketball team learned on Tuesday that Coach Lew Hill, who passed away tragically on Feb. 7 at the age of 55, is the unanimous choice for Don Haskins Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Coach of the Year. Before his passing, Hill coached the Vaqueros to an 8-4 record,

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UTRGV names Steadman Interim Head Basketball Coach

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday that Jai Steadman, who has been an assistant coach with the men’s basketball program since 2014, will serve as Interim head coach for the remainder of the season follow the tragic passing of head coach Lew Hill on Sunday. Steadman was ranked tied for the No.

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Former Texas A&M standout joins Tarleton MBB staff

Tarleton men’s basketball head coach Billy Gillispie has announced the addition of Joseph Jones as an assistant coach for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Jones, a professional basketball player for the last 13 years and currently signed in Puerto Rico, comes to Tarleton as one of Gillispie’s former standout players at Texas A&M where he

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