The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
04.09.2015 | Men's Basketball
Former South Carolina and Western Kentucky head coach joins Shaka Smart’s staff in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — A former head coach at the University of South Carolina and Western Kentucky University, Darrin Horn has been named assistant coach at The University of Texas, Head Coach Shaka Smart announced Thursday. The 42-year-old Horn begins his appointment immediately.
"Darrin has an impressive playing and coaching background," Smart said. "He has extensive experience as a head coach, including taking Western Kentucky to the 'Sweet 16.' I've always been impressed by Darrin's intensity as a coach and teacher of the game."
During his nine seasons as a head coach (2003-12), Horn posted an overall record of 171-111 (.606) and guided his teams to one NCAA Tournament and three Postseason NIT appearances. Every player who completed his eligibility under Horn, both at South Carolina and Western Kentucky, earned his degree. Prior to his hire at Texas, Horn worked for the last three years as a college basketball analyst with ESPN and the SEC Network.
Horn spent four years as head coach at South Carolina (2008-12), recording a 60-63 (.488) overall mark and leading the Gamecocks to one Postseason NIT appearance. In his first season (2008-09), he led South Carolina to a 21-10 mark and a Southeastern Conference Eastern Division Co-Championship with a 10-6 league record. The Gamecocks recorded their first 20-win season and made their first postseason appearance (NIT First Round) since 2005-06.
He developed Devan Downey into an Associated Press honorable mention All-American and All-SEC First Team selection in 2008-09. Horn also was a finalist for the 2009 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. His squad earned its highest GPA on record (3.007) in the spring of 2009.
His second season (2009-10) was highlighted by a home upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky. The win over the Wildcats was South Carolina's first in eight games against a top-ranked opponent in the school's 102 seasons of basketball. Horn also helped Downey become a finalist for the 2010 Bob Cousy Award, honoring the nation's top point guard. During the 2010-11 campaign, senior Sam Muldrow collected just the second triple-double in program history and went on to earn SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Horn served as head coach at Western Kentucky, his alma mater, for five years (2003-08). He guided the Hilltoppers to a 111-48 (.698) overall mark, highlighted by a 29-7 record, Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles, and a trip to the NCAA "Sweet 16" in 2007-08. The 29 wins tied the school record for a single season. The No. 12 seed Hilltoppers posted victories against fifth-seeded Drake and 13th-seeded San Diego in the first two rounds before falling in the regional semifinals to top-seed and eventual semifinalist UCLA.
He developed Courtney Lee into the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Lee averaged 20.4 points per game in his senior season and finished his career tied with Jim McDaniels as the all-time leading scorer at WKU with 2,238 points. Lee, who was selected as the No. 22 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, is completing his seventh season in the NBA and currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Horn also recruited and coached Jeremy Evans for two seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08) at Western Kentucky. Evans went on to become the all-time leader in career blocked shots (224) at WKU and was selected as the No. 55 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. The 2012 Sprite NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest champion, he is completing his fifth season in the NBA, all with the Jazz.
Known for his up-tempo offense and pressure defense, Horn's 2006-07 team registered a 22-11 record, its third straight season of at least 20 wins. No Hilltopper head coach had led Western Kentucky to three consecutive years of at least 20 wins in his first four seasons until Horn accomplished the feat. WKU went 12-6 in the Sun Belt Conference, and all six defeats were by five points or less.
The Hilltoppers went 23-8 in 2005-06, winning the Sun Belt Conference East Division for the first time since 2002-03 (12-2 league record). Western Kentucky reached the championship game of the league's postseason tournament and played in the Postseason NIT First Round. The Hilltoppers posted a 22-9 mark in 2004-05 and advanced to the Postseason NIT Second Round. WKU recorded the program's first victory in a national postseason tournament game since Horn was a senior in 1994-95.
Prior to beginning his head coaching career, Horn served as an assistant under Tom Crean at Marquette for four seasons (1999-2003). He helped the Golden Eagles make appearances in two NCAA Tournaments and one Postseason NIT. In 2002-03, Marquette tallied a 27-6 mark, won the Conference USA regular-season title (14-2 league record) and advanced to the NCAA semifinals as a No. 3 seed with wins over second-seeded Pittsburgh and top-seeded Kentucky.
Horn was the staff's primary recruiter for Travis Diener and Steve Novak. Diener earned All-Conference USA honors in each of his four seasons at Marquette, claimed honorable mention All-America recognition by The Associated Press as a senior in 2004-05 and ranks sixth in school history in career scoring (1,691 points). He was the No. 38 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and played five seasons in the league with the Magic, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers. Novak is Marquette's all-time career leader in three-pointers made (354) and free throw percentage (.931) and ranked 10th on the school's all-time scoring list (1,567 points) when he completed his eligibility. Novak, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, is completing his ninth season in the league and currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He worked as an assistant coach at Morehead State University for two years (1997-99) under Kyle Macy. Horn began his coaching career as an assistant at Western Kentucky for two seasons (1995-97) under Matt Kilcullen.
Horn was a four-time letterwinner and three-year starter at guard for Western Kentucky (1991-95). He helped lead the Hilltoppers to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of Sun Belt Tournament titles. Horn was one of three players to aid WKU in reaching national postseason play in four consecutive seasons, a first in school history, as the Hilltoppers played in the 1992 Postseason NIT and followed with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
While playing at Western Kentucky, Horn recorded career totals of 1,115 points and 139 steals, while connecting on 36.7 percent of his three-point field goal attempts. An All-Sun Belt selection during his senior year (1994-95), he helped the Hilltoppers to a 27-4 record (17-1 Sun Belt), Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament championships and a NCAA Tournament First Round win against Michigan. Horn also was tabbed WKU's "Athlete of the Year" and earned a spot on the GTE Academic All-America Third Team in 1994-95. The Hilltoppers posted a 26-6 record in Horn's sophomore season (1992-93) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16."
A native of Glasgow, Ky., Horn was born on Dec. 24, 1972. He and his wife, Carla, have one daughter, Caroline (born Oct. 7, 2000), and one son, Walker (born May 19, 2003).
| Birthdate | December 24, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Glasgow, Ky. |
| Education | Western Kentucky; bachelor's degree in allied language arts, 1995 |
| Wife | Carla |
| Children | Daughter, Caroline (born Oct. 7, 2000); |
| Son, Walker (born May 19, 2003) |
Horn's Year-by-Year Coaching Resume
| Year | School | Overall W-L | Conf W-L | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Western Kentucky | 13-14 | 10-8 | |
| 1996-97 | Western Kentucky | 12-15 | 9-9 | |
| 1997-98 | Morehead State | 3-23 | 2-16 | |
| 1998-99 | Morehead State | 13-15 | 9-9 | |
| 1999-2000 | Marquette | 15-14 | 8-8 | NIT First Round |
| 2000-01 | Marquette | 15-14 | 9-7 | |
| 2001-02 | Marquette | 26-7 | 13-3 | NCAA First Round |
| 2002-03 | Marquette | 27-6 | 14-2 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Totals | 8 seasons | 124-108 (.534) | 74-62 (.544) | 2 NCAA, 1 NIT |
| Year | School | Overall W-L | Conf W-L | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | Western Kentucky | 15-13 | 8-6 | |
| 2004-05 | Western Kentucky | 22-9 | 9-5 | NIT Second Round |
| 2005-06 | Western Kentucky | 23-8 | 12-2 | NIT First Round |
| 2006-07 | Western Kentucky | 22-11 | 12-6 | |
| 2007-08 | Western Kentucky | 29-7 | 16-2 | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2008-09 | South Carolina | 21-10 | 10-6 | NIT First Round |
| 2009-10 | South Carolina | 15-16 | 6-10 | |
| 2010-11 | South Carolina | 14-16 | 5-11 | |
| 2011-12 | South Carolina | 10-21 | 2-14 | |
| Totals | 9 seasons | 171-111 (.606) | 80-62 (.563) | 1 NCAA, 3 NIT |
