Former head coach Tim Jankovich retired after six seasons at the helm in Dallas.
By Joseph Hoyt
In finding a new men’s basketball coach, SMU Athletic Director Rick Hart said he wanted someone who could recruit the talent-laden Dallas Area and bring the Mustangs program into the future of college athletics.
SMU hopes Rob Lanier is the man for the job.
Lanier, 53, was announced as the Mustangs’ next head coach on Sunday. Lanier just finished his third season as the head coach at Georgia State, where he led the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament.
Lanier, a longtime assistant for Rick Barnes at Tennessee and Texas — among other schools — also made the tournament as the head coach at Siena.
“I couldn’t be more honored to lead the program on the Hilltop,” Lanier wrote in a statement. “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 will be introduced as the head coach at 4 p.m. on Monday.
Lanier takes over for Tim Jankovich, who just finished his seventh season as the Mustangs head coach. SMU went 24-9, finished second in the American Athletic Conference and was the third team left out of the NCAA Tournament. The last time SMU made the tournament was in 2017.
“Rob is an excellent coach and has been mentored by some of the game’s best in Rick Barnes and Billy Donovan,” Hart wrote in a statement. “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.”
Lanier — the cousin of college basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier — has experience recruiting Texas, too. He helped bring Euless Trinity star Myles Turner, now with the Indiana Pacers, to Texas.
“Rob is one of those coaches who will genuinely have an impact on his guys on and off the floor,” Turner wrote in a statement. “His hiring is something I see as beneficial for the culture, and I’m excited for him to be here in Dallas!”
Lanier, a St. Bonaventure alum, has a career head coaching record of 111-100 in seven seasons.
Georgia State went 18-11 this past season.
The hire of Lanier comes five days after Jankovich announced his retirement. Hart told The News he wanted to make a hire quickly. Being in the transfer portal era, he even said he asked the SMU players to see who he brought in before exploring leaving.
The hire ended up being Lanier.
Rob Lanier
Age: 54
Assistant coaching experience: 26 years (Niagara, St. Bonaventure, Rutgers, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Tennessee)
Head coaching experience: 7 years (Siena, Georgia State)
Head coaching record: 111-100
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2 (1-2)
