UCLA assistant Michael Lewis will be the next men’s basketball coach at Ball State, it was announced Friday.
Lewis will return to the Cardinals program after the Bruins’ season ends. UCLA takes on North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
“We are so excited to return to Indiana State, where basketball means so much to lead a program with a tremendous history and great potential,” Lewis said in a statement.
He succeeds James Whitford, who was fired March 14 after nine seasons with the Cardinals. Ball State, which hasn’t reached an NCAA tournament since 2000, went 14-17 this season, its third losing record in the last four seasons.
“Basketball in our state is personified by Michael Lewis,” Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “His vision of the game, relationship building, recruiting network, pedigree and proactive approach to engaging with our stakeholders is at a high level. Additionally, his program values and standards on the field, in the classroom and in the community will create a roadmap for the Cardinals to move forward, compete for Mid-American Conference titles and position our institution for a return to the NCAA Tournament. . »
Lewis, a standout point guard who still ranks second in career assists at Indiana while playing for coach Bob Knight, served as an assistant coach for 18 seasons, including the last three at UCLA. The Bruins are 68-29 in that span and reached the Final Four last year.
“Michael has all the coaching know-how, player relationship skills and recruiting abilities to make the Cards a force in the Mid-American Conference,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. in a press release.
A prep star at Indiana, Lewis also served as an assistant coach at Butler from 2011 to 2016. The Bulldogs went 108-63 with three NCAA Tournament berths in those five seasons.
He also coached at Nebraska, Eastern Illinois, Stephen F. Austin and Texas Tech, where he started as a graduate assistant under Knight.
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