Don was the first Division I player that I recruited when I was at South Alabama and I loved his grit, his determination and his desire to win. He wanted to become a coach so I helped him join the coaching ranks. He has been with me as a player and coach and he knows how I operate, so it is a perfect fit. - Cliff Ellis Don Hogan recently finished his second season as the associate head coach of the Coastal Carolina University men's basketball program. Hogan's arrival in Conway paid immediate dividends as he helped lead the Chanticleers to a school-record 28 wins en route to the Big South regular season title and an appearance in the postseason for the first time since 1993.
Hogan also experienced success on an individual level by helping three Chanticleers earn All-Big South accolades in 2010. Senior forward Joseph Harris was named to the All-Big South first team after averaging 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Harris rewrote the record books during his time at Coastal and finished his career as the Chanticleer all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, field-goal percentage and games played. Harris is also the only player in the history of the Big South with 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots. Junior Chad Gray was also selected to the All-Big South first team after ranking seventh in the league and leading the team with 14.3 points per game. Hogan also helped Kierre Greenwood land on the Big South All-Freshman Team following a season that saw Greenwood average 9.1 points per game and rank eighth in the conference with 3.34 assists per game. Coastal proved to be one of the top defensive teams in the country under Hogan's tutelage. The Chanticleers ranked first in the nation in three-point field goal defense by limiting opponents to a .275 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Coastal also stood fifth in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense by holding teams to just 38.2 percent shooting from the field. Coastal Carolina continued to enjoy success with Hogan on the sidelines in 2010-11, as Hogan helped Coastal Carolina to its second straight trip to the NIT after earning an automatic bid by winning the Big South regular season title with a school-record 16-2 mark inside the conference. The Chanticleers opened league play with 15 straight victories and went on to set an all-time Big South record for conference wins in a season. Hogan spent the previous 16 years as the head coach at the University of West Florida, becoming one of the winningest coaches in the Gulf South Conference. At the time of his departure, Hogan's 239 wins was second most among active coaches in the league, and he also ranked ninth all-time in conference history in wins and 11th with a .546 winning percentage (239-199). In 2005, Hogan became the ninth coach in conference history to surpass the 200-victory mark. West Florida finished with a winning percentage of .500 or better in 12 of his 16 seasons and has coached 16 All-GSC performers. Moochie Norris was drafted out of West Florida by the NBA's New Orleans Hornets following his 1995-96 senior season under Hogan. Before accepting the head coach position at West Florida prior to the 1993-94 season, Hogan was an assistant coach for three years at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. Working under current Wildcat Head Coach Bob McKillop, he served as the chief scout, directed the off-season conditioning program and was also in charge of team scheduling. As Davidson's recruiting coordinator, Hogan helped bring in the bulk of a team which finished 22-8 in 1994 and earned a berth in the National Invitational Tournament. Hogan was an important part of the Clemson men's basketball program from 1984-89. He served as an assistant coach under Cliff Ellis in his first three years with the Tigers. Over his last two years, Hogan added the responsibilities of an assistant to the athletic director in addition to his duties as a coach. During his tenure, the Tigers received a post-season bid each season, earning two trips to the NCAA Tournament and three NIT berths. Hogan served as the Tigers' chief scout and recruiting coordinator, and was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of the team. He also coached future NBA players Elden Campbell, Dale Davis, and twin brothers Horace and Harvey Grant. A native of North Babylon, N.Y., Hogan began his college basketball career at the University of South Alabama in Mobile as a player under Ellis. South Alabama posted a 78-33 record during Hogan's playing career. Ellis' first recruit at USA, Hogan was a starting guard as a freshman in 1977, scoring a career-high 24 points as the Jaguars downed New Mexico State on Dec. 17, 1976. He was also a valuable member of the Jaguars basketball team which advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1979 and 1980 and helped the program to its first-ever national top-10 ranking. Hogan received the University of South Alabama Most Scholastic Award for men's basketball in 1980. Hogan earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in physical education from South Alabama. He served a two-year stint as the junior varsity head coach and assistant boy's basketball coach at Forrest High School in Ocala, Fla. Hogan returned to South Alabama for one season as an assistant, helping the Jaguars earn an invitation to the 1984 NIT. He left his alma mater afterward, going with Ellis when he departed USA for Clemson. Hogan is married to the former Barbara Alford. They have two children, Kevin Martin and Colleen Adair. Hogan is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. |
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The Chanticleers also finished with a 15-3 mark inside the Big South to set a new school record for league wins, surpassing the previous record of 13 set during the 1990-91 season.
