By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Rob Lanier has been an assistant or head coach on a Division I coaching staff in each of the 32 seasons since he graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1990. Lanier officially accepted his most prominent head coaching job yet on Sunday, leaving Georgia State for Southern Methodist University.
Lanier guided Georgia State to a 53-30 record in three seasons, highlighted by the Sun Belt Tournament title on March 7. He joins a program that won 20 or more games in five of the last nine seasons, including a 24-9 record this year. Tim Jankovich, who had been the team’s coach since 2012, retired last week.
“I couldn’t be more honored to lead the program on the Hilltop,” Lanier said in SMU’s press release. “SMU’s location in the heart of Dallas, Texas, the beautiful campus, stellar academic reputation and overall commitment to excellence make it the perfect fit for me and my family. I’m excited to get to work and to take this program to the next level.”
Lanier was a four-year starting point guard at Bona and ranks third in program history in career 3-point percentage. He served as a Bonnies assistant under Jim Baron from 1992-97 and has also been an assistant to Billy Donovan at Florida and Rick Barnes at Texas.
“We are excited to welcome Rob Lanier and his family to Dallas as the Head Basketball Coach at SMU,” Mustangs athletic director Rick Hart commented in the release. “Rob is an excellent coach and has been mentored by some of the game’s best in Rick Barnes and Billy Donovan. He and his staff will build upon the success our program has experienced under Coach Brown and Coach Jankovich. As importantly, his character, integrity, and commitment to developing our student-athletes as both players and people align with our mission of Shaping Champions.
“Our conversations with individuals in the basketball community only reinforced our belief that Rob Lanier is the right leader for SMU basketball.”
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