NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The University of New Orleans has hired Texas Southern assistant and former Loyola-New Orleans coach Stacy Hollowell as the Privateers' basketball coach.
Two years ago, Hollowell coached Loyola to an NAIA championship. Following that season, he joined the staff of then-Mississippi coach Kermit Davis, but left Ole Miss in 2023 after Davis was fired.
Athletic director Tim Duncan said during Thursday's annnouncement that Hollowell "is a coach that I have watched for the past several years."
"From his national championship season through his time at Ole Miss and Texas Southern, we have talked about the alignment of our basketball philosophies," Duncan said, calling Hollowell "a strong recruiter" and "an innovative basketball mind."
Hollowell grew up in Mandeville, Louisiana, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, and has a longstanding relationship with former NBA and major college coach Tim Floyd, who also coached at UNO early in his career.
"As a young aspiring player dribbling the basketball down my street in Mandeville, I was lucky enough to meet Coach Tim Floyd," Hollowell said in a statement released by UNO. "From that moment until now he has been a friend and mentor and I am honored to be able to follow in his footsteps."
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Floyd said he has followed Hollowell's career path "with great interest and pride."
"His national title at Loyola speaks for itself," Floyd said. "Stacy has taken no short cuts to get to his dream job. He is ready for this."
Hollowell coached Loyola to 166 victories in eight seasons, including five with 20-plus wins. He was named NAIA and NABC Coach of the Year after his team's 37-1 national title campaign, which overlapped with the team's temporary displacement because of Hurricane Ida.
"As a kid I had the fortune of seeing how electric Lakefront Arena could be and how galvanized metro New Orleans could be when UNO basketball was winning," Hollowell said. "Throughout my career I've been able to work with and build relationships with a number of former UNO coaches. This opportunity is the one I've hoped for all along."
Hollowell replaces Mark Slessinger, who left UNO this spring, following a 10-23 season, to become a lead assistant at Indiana State.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll
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