ACU Wildcats name Hays new men's basketball coach

By BILL HART
Sports Editor

Abilene Christian University continued its youth movement Thursday by naming 28-year-old Shanon Hays as its new men's basketball coach.

Four years ago, ACU named 24-year-old Suzanne Fox as its women's coach. This year, her team reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament in Fargo, N.D., finishing third. Her teams have averaged more than 20 wins a season since she took over.

Hays coached at Frank Phillips College in Borger this past year, finishing fourth in the strong Western Junior College Athletic Conference with a 19-10 record. He replaces Tony Mauldin, who coached ACU the past five years.

"My youth doesn't bother me because I've been a head coach for four years," he said. "But this is a new experience for me, I'm at a different level. I'll be on edge.

"I want to win, but more than anything, I want to develop a program that will sell itself. I may be young, but I've been around a long time. I think the school showed a lot of faith in me by hiring me."

Hays graduated from Lubbock Monterey High School and played baseball and basketball for a year at Lubbock Christian University before transferring to Texas Tech where his father, Larry Hays, is the head baseball coach.

Hays was hired by ACU eight days after athletes were eligible to sign with NCAA Division II schools. But he hopes to bring in at least one player, possibly two.

"ACU is equipped with good talent, athletes who are good students as well, and that was one of the things that enticed me," Hays said. "We have only one position to fill and I hope to do that within the next month.

"I met with the team this morning and all of the players there said they would be back."

However, Chaz Jackson, the Lone Star Conference freshman of the year who averaged 14 points a game, has indicated that he might not be back. He reportedly wants to transfer to an NCAA Division I school. He did not attend Thursday's team meeting, according to athletic director Stan Lambert.

"I hope to meet with Jackson as soon as I can and hopefully, we can work something out," Hays said.

Lambert said if any of the players didn't want to stay, the school would help them find another school.

But apparently gone is assistant coach Scott Galloway, who was a finalist for the job along with Stephen F. Austin State assistant Andrew Prince, a former ACU player and assistant coach, and David Lipscomb assistant Mike Roller. Lambert wasn't sure if Galloway would stay somewhere within the school or not.

"It's too early to talk about an assistant coach," Hays said. "There are several I have in mind. I hope to name one soon."

Hays' other head coaching positions were at Sundown High School (9-15) and Lubbock Christian High School (50-15). He was also a graduate assistant one year at Texas Tech under James Dickey.

"Jim Shankle (ACU baseball coach) has been a friend of mine for a long time and he told me about the vacancy here," Hays said about applying for the ACU job. "Coach Dickey and Tubby Smith (former Tulsa coach now at the University of Georgia) put in good words for me and I'm sure that didn't hurt.

"I'm a defensive coach and I believe in the man-to-man defense to score points on easy baskets.

We will not be a run-and-gun team. Seventy points would be a good average for us. I hope opponents score less."

Lambert said he received 45 resumes and 15 applicants were seriously considered. Hays hopes to be on campus as soon as possible.