ETSU men’s basketball announced Desmond Oliver as new head coach Monday afternoon during a press conference at the ETSU Mini Dome.
Oliver, a 27-year veteran coach, has spent the last six seasons with the University of Tennessee as an assistant coach, including the 2018 SEC Championship team. The respected recruiter also helped lead the Volunteers to the ESPN No. 4 ranked class of 2020.
“Coach Oliver has a tremendous reputation from Ivy League to the SEC as a man of the highest integrity and extraordinary work ethic,” said Athletic Director Scott Carter.
He becomes the 18th head coach in program history.
“I was in awe of the energy and pursuit of wanting to get the program back in the right direction,” Oliver said.
The new head coach takes over a team with some uncertainty as several players have entered the transfer portal over the last few days.
“First, we have to re-recruit our guys…get in the gym and just be there with them,” Oliver said about forming a relationship with the players.
The Buffalo, New York, native graduated from Dominican College in 1992 and has been an assistant coach for the last 26 seasons at several universities, including Texas A&M, Cornell, Georgia and most recently University of Tennessee.
“ETSU basketball has a history of success that was attractive to me,” Oliver said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity to build on that and lead us as we take our next steps forward.”
Oliver’s hiring comes just a week after former coach Jason Shay announced his resignation after only one season as head coach.
The position has been surrounded by controversy after an image of the men’s program kneeling during the national anthem made its way around social media in February, receiving national attention.
“I know there’s a lot of items swirling around this community about our university, but I want to remind everyone that the purpose of this institution is to make dreams come true,” ETSU President Brian Noland said.
