Todd Golden
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
Indiana State stayed close to home when it hired Greg Lansing to replace Kevin McKenna as men’s basketball coach in June.
In turn, Lansing has elected to stay near home when it came to hire his first assistant coach.
David Ragland, who has coached Vincennes University to a 79-20 record in two years at the helm at the successful junior college program, will join ISU’s basketball staff.
ISU has not officially announced Ragland’s hire, but it’s a formality that should come soon. Vincennes University announced in a Wednesday news release that Ragland would be leaving the program for ISU.
Ragland was unavailable for comment. When reached Wednesday, ISU coach Greg Lansing declined comment. It is customary for ISU’s athletics staff to refrain from comment on a hire until paperwork is officially completed for a coaching position.
Ragland had discussions with VU players over the Fourth of July weekend about joining ISU’s staff. According to VU’s news release, Ragland submitted his resignation from the Trailblazers on Tuesday.
“I’m really excited … it’s a good time to be joining the staff at ISU because they’re headed in the right direction. People are really excited about Greg Lansing as the coach, and they won 17 ball games last year, with a lot of injuries that left them with key parts of their team out at points throughout the year,” said Ragland in a VU news release.
Ragland was an assistant coach at VU under Everick Sullivan for three years prior to his elevation to head coach. Among the players he coached was ISU guard Rashad Reed, who came to the Sycamores from VU in 2008.
Ragland joins Associate Head Coach Lou Gudino and Deryl Cunningham on ISU’s men’s basketball staff. Gudino was also a junior college head coach at Howard Junior College and Frank Phillips College in Texas.
Recruiting began on Tuesday for the summer signing period. Ragland is expected to have a significant role in ISU’s recruiting under Lansing as well as being responsible for compliance-related issues.
Ragland played at Evansville Harrison and was the team’s star when Harrison went to the 1999 Class 4A semistate. He played at Missouri Southern.
