Irvin Named Assistant Basketball Coach
Aug 27, 2003 | Men's Basketball
August 27, 2003
Lance Irvin has been named an assistant men's basketball coach at Texas A&M, head coach Melvin Watkins said Wednesday. Irvin replaces Tom Billeter, who was named head coach at Augustana College in May.
Irvin served an an assistant coach at Illinois State last season after a one-year stint as an assistant at Iowa State in 2001-02, where he helped the Cyclones land a recruiting class rated in the top five nationally. A native of Chicago, the 34-year-old Irvin spent three years as a part of Larry Farmer's staff at Loyola-Chicago prior to working for the Cyclones. Irvin was the primary recruiting coordinator for the Ramblers and was credited with assembling some of Loyola's finest recruiting classes.
Irvin took a year off from collegiate basketball during the 1997-98 season, assisting at Chicago's Carver High School. Before that season, Irvin was an assistant at DePaul under Joey Meyer from 1992-97, helping the Blue Demons to an NCAA appearance in 1992 and NIT appearances in 1994 and 1995. His duties at DePaul included administering the team's strength and conditioning program and working as the academic liaison.
Prior to accepting his first-time job at DePaul, Irvin worked as a graduate assistant at Idaho in 1991-92. Irvin played one season with the Vandals before becoming a graduate assistant. He earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Idaho in 1992.
Irvin began his collegiate playing career at Colorado State before transferring to Triton Junior College in River Grove, Ill., where he was named the team's most valuable player. Irvin was an all-city, all-area, all-state and honorable mention All-American as a senior at Chicago's Julian High School in 1987.
"I've known Lance since I recruited him out of high school," Watkins said. "He has a national recruiting reputation and comes highly recommended by the president of Illinois State and by former A&M All-American Sonny Parker, who also is from Chicago. When Sonny called, I knew we had our man."
Three of Irvin's brothers played Division I basketball. Byron Irvin was a two-year standout at Missouri, leading the Tigers in scoring (19.7 ppg.) in 1988-89 while earning first team All-Big Eight honors. Mac Irvin played at St. Louis University and his youngest brother, Nick, played two seasons at Fresno State. His sister, Cynthia, is the head girl's basketball coach at Julian High School in Chicago.
