The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Associate Head Coach Darrin Horn
4th season at Texas
A former head coach at the University of South Carolina and Western Kentucky University, Darrin Horn begins his fourth season on the staff at The University of Texas. Horn served as an assistant coach in his first three years in Austin and was elevated to Associate Head Coach on July 23, 2018.
During his first three years as an assistant coach for the Longhorns, Horn had primary responsibility for the development of the Texas frontcourt players. Under his guidance, Mohamed Bamba (No. 6 pick in 2018, Orlando Magic) and Jarrett Allen (No. 22 pick in 2017, Brooklyn Nets) made significant improvement during their respective freshman seasons and were NBA Draft first-round selections.
In year one at Texas (2015-16), the Longhorns posted a 20-13 overall record (11-7, tie for fourth in Big 12 Conference). UT advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed before falling to Northern Iowa (75-72) on a half-court shot at the buzzer. Despite the midseason loss of senior center Cameron Ridley (fractured left foot on Dec. 27), who led the team in rebounding (10.0 rpg) and blocks (3.4 bpg) and ranked second in scoring (12.7 ppg) at the time of the injury, the Longhorns set a school single-season record with four regular-season wins against AP Top 10 opponents (No. 3 North Carolina, at No. 6 West Virginia, No. 10 West Virginia and No. 3 Oklahoma).
UT went 4-1 at home against AP Top 20 opponents in 2015-16, and the Longhorns were 6-4 overall against AP Top 20 teams. Senior center Prince Ibeh claimed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Isaiah Taylor was named All-Big 12 First Team. Eric Davis Jr. and Kerwin Roach II each claimed a spot on the six-person Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. All five scholarship seniors on the roster participated in Spring 2016 Commencement exercises.
In its first full recruiting cycle in Austin, the Texas coaching staff pulled in a four-man freshman group that ranked as the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation by Scout. All four freshmen signees were ranked among the Top 100 players nationally by Scout (Jarrett Allen, No. 15; James Banks, No. 49; Andrew Jones, No. 19; Jacob Young, No. 87).
The class was highlighted by Allen and Jones, who both competed in the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game. The duo became the 17th and 18th players in UT history to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game, and it marked just the fourth time in program history that the Longhorns had at least two McDonald’s All-Americans in the same year. Allen also was the top-ranked center in the country by ESPN, marking the first time in UT program history that the Longhorns signed the No. 1 center in ESPN’s recruiting rankings.
The 2016-17 season was highlighted by the staff’s development of freshman Jarrett Allen, who was selected as the No. 22 pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2017 NBA Draft. Allen earned All-Big 12 Conference Third Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team accolades. He also claimed a spot on the 10-person USBWA All-District VII Team and the five-person NABC All-District 8 Second Team.
Allen led the team in rebounding (8.4 rpg), blocks (51) and minutes (32.1 mpg) and ranked second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg). He recorded 12 double-doubles on the season, tied for the third-highest total by a UT freshman in school history. Allen also ranked fourth on the UT freshman chart in total rebounds (278) and fourth in rebounding average (8.4 rpg). He made dramatic improvement during the second half of the year, averaging a team-best 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in Big 12 Conference play while registering eight double-doubles.
During its second recruiting cycle, the UT staff signed a five-man freshman class that ranked as the No. 5 recruiting class in the country by Rivals. All five freshmen signees were ranked among the Top 80 players nationally by one of the three major recruiting services (Mohamed Bamba, No. 2 Rivals; Matt Coleman III, No. 29 ESPN; Jase Febres, No. 47 Scout; Jericho Sims, No. 51 Scout; Royce Hamm Jr., No. 80 ESPN).
The class was highlighted by Bamba and Coleman, who both competed in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic. Bamba became the fourth signee in UT history to rank as one of the nation’s top two recruits, joining Avery Bradley (No. 1 by ESPN in 2009), Kevin Durant (No. 2 by Rivals in 2006) and Myles Turner (No. 2 by ESPN in 2014). Bamba also became the 19th player in program history to compete in the McDonald’s All-American Game and played in the Nike Hoop Summit.
In the 2017-18 season, the Longhorns registered a 19-15 overall record. Despite battling several key injuries and illnesses and playing a seven-man rotation that featured four freshmen during the majority of February and March, UT advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed. Texas posted five wins against AP Top 25 opponents and recorded four consecutive home victories against AP Top 20 opponents to end the regular season (No. 16 TCU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 20 West Virginia).
Bamba earned honorable mention All-America honors by The Associated Press and claimed a spot on the John R. Wooden Award National Ballot. One of 10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, he was named to the five-person NABC All-District 8 First Team and the 12-person USBWA All-District VII Team. He also earned recognition on the All-Big 12 Second Team, the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Bamba led the Big 12 Conference in double-doubles (15), rebounding (10.5 rpg) and blocked shots (111, 3.70 bpg). He ranked second nationally in blocks per game and 12th in rebounds per game. Bamba set the UT overall season record for blocks (111, previous was 92 by Chris Owens in 2000-01).
Bamba became the eighth lottery pick in the NBA Draft in program history. He was UT’s highest draft selection since Tristan Thompson went at No. 4 in 2011 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bamba also was UT’s first lottery pick since Myles Turner in 2015 (No. 11 pick by the Indiana Pacers).
Horn also played a significant role in the development of forward Dylan Osetkowski, who earned recognition on the 2017-18 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team.
In the 2018 recruiting cycle, UT’s five-man freshman class ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN and 247Sports.
During his nine seasons as a head coach (2003-12), the 44-year-old 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 three years (2012-15) 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 in his 11th season in the NBA and currently plays for the New York Knicks.
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 played seven seasons in the NBA.
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, played 11 seasons in the NBA.
Horn worked as an assistant coach under Kyle Macy at Morehead State University for two years (1997-99). He 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).
