Lanier to coach Rice after recent SMU termination

• Pete Thamel, ESPNMar 24, 2024, 11:52 PM ET Rice University worked with Rob Lanier to be its next men’s basketball coach, the school revealed Sunday night, returning Lanier to a task in the AAC after his unforeseen dismissal from SMU last week.SMU fired

  Lanier after just 2 seasons in the wake of a 20-win season, as the Mustangs are looking for an upgrade as they move to the ACC next season.Lanier’s squad

  went 20-13 and finished fifth in the AAC with an 11-7 record. His current season, combined with a strong performance history as a head coach and assistant, were appealing to the Rice brass, sources informed ESPN. He also brings strong ties to the state from his time as an assistant coach at Texas.Editor’s Picks

1 Related In Lanier, the Rice brass saw a coach who might assemble a lineup to lead the Owls to immediate competitiveness in their second season in the AAC.The school fired coach Scott Pera after he went 5-13 in league play in Rice’s debut season in the AAC.New Rice athletic director Tommy McClelland, in announcing Pera’s departure, hinted at the program’s aspirations. He pointed out the desire for a “championship-caliber program” and stated Rice wishes to be “amongst the best in the AAC.”

This will mark Lanier’s 4th head-coaching task. He led both Siena and Georgia State to NCAA competition bids in prior stints and showed strong improvement from year one at SMU (10-22) to year two (20-13).

Lanier likewise brings extensive high-end assistant coaching experience, as he worked for Rick Barnes at both Tennessee and Texas, and Billy Donovan at Florida.Lanier won a regular-season Sun Belt title at Georgia State and will be entering his 10th season as a Division I head coach. While at Siena, his team won a First 4 NCAA competition game against Alcorn State.