The college hoops coaching carousel has resembled the Wild West recently. That continued on Wednesday, as LSU basketball may have become the first program in a while to poach a current head coach for an assistant role.
The Tigers have hired Sacramento State head coach David Patrick to work under Matt McMahon, via ESPN's Jeff Borzello.
“LSU is hiring Sacramento State head coach David Patrick as Matt McMahon's associate head coach, sources told ESPN,” Borzello tweeted. “It will be Patrick’s second stint in Baton Rouge after serving on Johnny Jones’ staff from 2012-16. Proven high-major recruiter with head coaching experience.”
Patrick has made his stripes both in and out of the Power 5, via Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney.
“Patrick left UC Riverside after two years, spent a year each at Arkansas and Oklahoma before taking the Sac State job,” Sweeney tweeted. “Now on the move again after two more years in the HC chair. Went just 10-24 this season at one of the tougher jobs in the Big Sky.”
Patrick bolsters McMahon's staff after an underwhelming first two seasons for the latter coach. McMahon has gone just 31-25 overall and 11-25 in SEC play since taking over for the 2022-23 campaign.
As such, McMahon couldn't be happier to bring in an accomplished coach as his right-hand man, via the university's website.
“I am incredibly excited to welcome David Patrick and his family to our LSU coaching staff,” said McMahon. “He is an outstanding basketball coach and an elite recruiter who has impacted winning at every stop on his journey. Coach Patrick brings tremendous experience and success to our program. He has been a Division I Head Coach, an assistant coach for the Australian National Team winning a bronze medal in the 2021 Olympics, and has coached in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the NCAA Tournament.”
McMahon also admired Patrick's player development skills and basketball mindset.
“I love Coach Patrick’s investment in player development and in building relationships,” McMahon continued. “He has recruited and helped to develop multiple NBA Draft picks throughout his career. I look forward to the new ideas, solutions, and energy he will bring to our program. We can’t wait to get started this summer.”
Will Patrick be able to save the Tigers from mediocrity?
Patrick will help LSU basketball, but there's still work to do
There are reasons to be hopeful for LSU, as it's just one of seven programs that signed three or more top 65 recruits in the 2024 class, via On3's rankings. The Tigers' current signees are power forwards Robert Miller and Noah Boyde, as well as point guard Curtis Givens III and shooting guard Vyctorius Miller. Boyde is the fourth-ranked junior college player nationally, while the other three are high-school recruits, via 247 Sports.
The Tigers also did some work in the transfer portal, bringing in three players thus far. Combo guard and three-star prospect Dji Bailey out of Wilson, North Carolina switched his commitment from Richmond to LSU. The program also brought in UT Martin point guard Jordan Sears and Kansas State shooting guard Cam Carter, who both rank as four-star transfers in 247's system.
With that being said, no coach can make a new-look team gel immediately. Patrick's experience will undoubtedly help LSU basketball, but the fanbase shouldn't expect an immediate return to the NCAA Tournament.
Follow Us
Subscribe
