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DALLAS (SMU) – Steve Lutz has been hired as an assistant men’s basketball coach at SMU, head coach Matt Doherty announced on Wednesday. Lutz comes to the Hilltop after six seasons as an assistant to Danny Kaspar at Stephen F. Austin.

“Steve is recognized as one of, if not the top young assistants in the state of Texas,” states Doherty. “I am thrilled to add him to our staff as he will open a lot of doors in this great state.”

At SFA, Lutz served as the Lumberjacks’ recruiting coordinator and assisted in all phases of game preparation. Several of the recent recruiting classes were rated among the tops in the Southland Conference and among the best in the region.

In six seasons at SFA, the Lumberjacks went 93-76, including a 71-44 mark over the last four seasons with 21 wins in both 2002-03 and 2003-04. The Lumberjacks went 57-51 in the Southland Conference during Lutz’s tenure with .500 or better records four times, including a school-best 16-4 campaign in 2002-03. The Lumberjacks led the Southland in scoring margin and three-point percentage in two of his final three seasons as well as rebounding defense and rebounding margin in 2005-06.

Lutz also spent four seasons as an assistant to Kaspar at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. During those four seasons, the Crusaders went 99-20, winning three regular-season conference titles and capturing the conference postseason tournament the fourth year. He also spent one season at Incarnate Word as the head golf coach at the university.

Lutz played basketball for three seasons at Texas Lutheran and served as the team captain as a senior. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Lutheran in 1995 and a Master’s of Education there in 1997. Lutz played one season at Ranger Junior College prior to his arrival at Texas Lutheran.

He and his wife Shannon have a daughter, Caroline.

SFA Overall Southland

2000-01 9-17 6-14

2001-02 13-15 10-10

2002-03 21-8 16-4

2003-04 21-9 10-6

2004-05 12-15 6-10

2005-06 17-12 9-7

Totals 93-76 57-51

Former golf coach. At least he'll be handy at the next slush fund tourney.

Is SFA a d-2 school in basketball as well as football?

And when is the big George Lynch announcement?

I hear Lynch might be a rumor only. Not sure.

Horseshoe wrote:I hear Lynch might be a rumor only. Not sure.

Started on this board?? By 2112?? I hope not.

I don't KNOW that it's a rumor, but that's what I was told by someone who is very well-connected. Maybe his information is inaccurate. But he thinks Lynch is more of a rumor than a hire.

so much for hiring Ice Lewis away from Houston or hiring a guy with local roots. This hire is not very newsworthy. Does Doherty still have one spot to fill or is that it? Maybe Lutz is such a guru we'll out X and O everybody. The best young assistant in the state? From SFA...really? Ok. Go Mustangs.

Hoop Fan wrote:so much for hiring Ice Lewis away from Houston or hiring a guy with local roots. This hire is not very newsworthy. Does Doherty still have one spot to fill or is that it? Maybe Lutz is such a guru we'll out X and O everybody. The best young assistant in the state? From SFA...really? Ok. Go Mustangs.

Don't get too optomistic there Hoop.

MustangIcon wrote:

Hoop Fan wrote:so much for hiring Ice Lewis away from Houston or hiring a guy with local roots. This hire is not very newsworthy. Does Doherty still have one spot to fill or is that it? Maybe Lutz is such a guru we'll out X and O everybody. The best young assistant in the state? From SFA...really? Ok. Go Mustangs.

Don't get too optomistic there Hoop.

Nothing against Lutz, probably a great guy, but this seems like a very generic hire to me. With all the Doherty barnstorming and "getting after it" that people have been referring to, i guess i expected more. Perhaps a more strategic hire. Before you say i am just wearing a Tubbs hat, i am not. Look back at the thread about George Lynch from last week or so and you will see that i said positive things about that supposed hire.

Honestly, I know nothing at all about Lutz but if Coach D likes him so do I. Although big splash hires are fun, they won't all be big splash hires. I think Doherty was the big splash and now he is going to surround himself with coaches that help him reach his goals for SMU. I am sure Lutz has strong suits that fit exactly what Doherty was looking for in an assistant.

Do we have another Assistant spot open still? If so does anyone know if Lynch or anyone else is known to be in the running?

George Lynch is the basketball weight and conditining coach

I'm not really much of a "If [insert seasonal SMU coach here] wants him so do I" kinda guy. I'm more of a "If the Top Division 1A programs want him so do I" kinda guy. Geez why even post that crap-just admit that its really flying over your head. Didn't we significantly increase pay structure for assistants as part of the inducements to get Doherty? Are we getting our money's worth?

Well when the SMU coach's name you are inserting is a former headcoach at UNC and ND as well as a former COY I tend to trust his judgement. But I guess thats foolish of me to think because you don't agree right?

I'm more of a "I don't care if you hire Farmer Brown if he can coach big men and defense" kind of guy. Thing is, most guys who fit that bill don't wind up as a recruiting coordinator in Nacogdoches, Texas. You would think with all those UNC and ND connections, Doherty could have come up with somebody who wasn't the former golf coach at Incarnate Word.

only time will tell, but I sure hope this guy is well connected with coaches around the state of Texas, Doherty undoubtedly is not. This program is a long ways from appealing to top talent, so our staff will have to work hard and is going to have to project some guys...just like Bennett and his group is doing with the football program. Let's produce a winner and return more butts to the seats in Moody before anyone expects Doherty to start signing guys like Darrell Arthur.

why all the hate?

give this guy a chance, maybe he is decent. Tubbs is G-O-N-E for F sake.