Tarleton State head men’s basketball coach Eric Haut announced the addition of Tre Cobbs to his first coaching staff at Tarleton State ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Cobbs spent five seasons at the NCAA level during his playing career playing four seasons of Division I. His third and final season at Northern Kentucky, Cobbs played for Haut in his first year with the Norse. After his collegiate playing days were over, he has spent four years as a part of three different Division I coaching staffs.
“I had the privilege of coaching Tre at Northern Kentucky, where he played a key role on our championship teams there,” said Haut. “As a player he was a hard worker, leader, and someone everyone enjoyed being around. He’s had the opportunity to learn from some incredible coaches in Steve Lutz at Oklahoma State and Penny Hardaway at Memphis which has prepared him for this next step in his coaching journey. Tre is a rising star in our profession who brings strong relationships with players and a real gift for skill development. We’re excited to have him join us at Tarleton State and know he’ll make an immediate impact on our program.”
Cobbs most recently served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State. He also made stops at Western Kentucky and Memphis. During his four years as part of the coaching staffs, his teams have made appearances in the postseason. In his first two seasons at Memphis and WKU, his squads won the conference tournament, and each earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. In both seasons at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys made runs in the NIT.
“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to be working at Tarleton State University,” said Cobbs. “I met coach Haut during my senior season at Northern Kentucky, when he joined the staff under Darin Horn. That season, we went on to win the Horizon League Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2019–20. Having witnessed Coach E’s work ethic, success, and journey firsthand, I know it’s only a matter of time before great success finds us here at Tarleton State. After already winning with Coach Haut as a player, I’m looking forward to continued success & doing the same while coaching alongside him at Tarleton State.”
Most recently, Cobbs spent two seasons at Oklahoma State as a graduate assistant with the Cowboys. He assisted in day-to-day operations as well as focusing in player skills and development. The Cowboys were 37-33 in his two seasons earning a spot in the NIT each year. In his first year, the Cowboys reached the NIT Quarterfinals after knocking off No.1 seed SMU. In the 2025-26 season, Oklahoma State won their first round of both the Big 12 tournament and the NIT.
Prior to Oklahoma State, he spent one season at Western Kentucky under head coach Steve Lutz who made the move with him to Oklahoma State. The Hilltoppers won the CUSA Tournament championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. WKU fell to Marquette in the first round. At the end of the season, Cobbs followed head coach Steve Lutz to his new job at Oklahoma State.
His first job after his playing career, he spent the 2022-23 season under head coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis. Cobbs joined the team later in the season and specialized in player development. During his one season with the Tigers, the squad was ranked no. 24 in the final AP Poll of the season after winning the AAC Tournament Championship. The Tigers earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first round to event Final Four Cinderella Florida Atlantic.
He played in parts of five seasons in during his playing career. Cobbs started his career at Northern Kentucky and played for Haut in his final season with the Norse in 2019-20. He missed the 2018-19 season due to a knee injury. In his four years the squad went 95-39, holding a 69-30 record in his three playing seasons. The Norse were two-time Horizon League tournament champions during his career there, earning a pair of NCAA Tournament Bids. Cobbs averaged 2.1 points per game in his 37 career games played with the Norse.
Cobbs then played the 2020-21 season at Kentucky Wesleyan. He averaged 16.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game starting in nine of his 13 games played. Cobbs also shot 45.7 percent from beyond the arc. He scored in double figures in every game he played, scoring a career-best 30 points in his fifth game of the season.
After a year with the Panthers, he spent his final collegiate season at Georgia Southern. He started all 25 games he played and averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds per contest. He led the team in assists in six games and helped the Eagles to a first round win in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Cobbs played high school basketball in his hometown of Lima, Ohio. He is a member of the 1,000-point club and won a pair of state titles during his four-year prep career at Lima Central Catholic. As a senior he scored 20 points per game and was named First Team All-State.
