Heath hires Cox

USF men’s basketball coach Stan Heath finalized his staff for next season by hiring former University of Kentucky coach Jeremy Cox on Friday.

Cox is the second assistant appointed this offseason after Heath lost two members of his staff in the spring. Heath hired Towson assistant Eric Skeeters on Wednesday night.

“I’m excited that we have completed our staff,” Heath said in a statement. “It was a very difficult decision I had to make. I had to decide what was best for our program.”

Cox served under Billy Gillispie at Kentucky and Texas A&M from 2006-09. In 2005-06, he led Arkansas Fort-Smith Junior College to a junior college national championship and was named the NJCAA Coach of the Year.

“(Cox’s) experience at Kentucky and Texas A&M was something that is impressive to me, in addition to his ability to coach, to work with the players and to recruit,” Heath said. “He definitely will be an asset to the program. I feel very fortunate that we have him on our staff.”

USF Director of Basketball Operations Tommy Tonelli was a candidate for the assistant position but will stay in his director role for next season. Along with assistant Reggie Hanson, he’ll be one of the only remaining members of Heath’s coaching cabinet from last season.

In the spring, assistant Dan Hipsher opted for a job at Alabama and assistant Byron Samuels was fired.

Cox met Heath about seven years ago, when Cox began coaching at Arkansas-Fort Smith. Heath was coaching at the University of Arkansas.

“With the resources USF has to offer, I think it is unlimited in what (Heath) can do here with his ability to coach and make players better,” Cox said. “He has proven that he can build programs, helping at Michigan State, at Arkansas and down here in Tampa. There is just unlimited potential at USF.”