April 12, 2004
LAS VEGAS - Lew Hill and Mike Shepherd have been hired as assistant coach and director of basketball operations, respectively, for the UNLV men's basketball program, head coach Lon Kruger announced Monday.
Hill comes to UNLV from Texas A&M where he was an assistant coach from 1998-2003 and served as the program's associate head coach last season. Prior to his time with the Aggies, Hill spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at East Carolina and two years as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State (1992-94).
"Lew is a highly respected coach with a tremendous work ethic," Kruger said. "He is a good teacher and relates extremely well to players."
Hill began his coaching career at Wichita (Kan.) East High School in 1988-89, then moved into the collegiate ranks as a part-time assistant at South Alabama from 1990-92.
As a player, Hill was the starting point guard for San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College in 1984, helping the team to the junior college national championship and earning JUCO All-America honors. He went on to earn All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a senior at Wichita State, leading the Shockers to the NCAA Tournament.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was an all-state performer at Mount Vernon High School. After graduating from Wichita State in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, he played professionally in Germany for one season before beginning his coaching career.
Shepherd comes to Las Vegas from Northern Illinois where he spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Huskies, Shepherd was a scout for Kruger's Atlanta Hawks.
"Mike is an outstanding young coaching prospect who will bring terrific enthusiasm and work ethic," Kruger said.
Shepherd was a student manager at Kansas State when Kruger was the head coach and started his coaching career in 1990 as a graduate assistant at Florida, also under Kruger. He spent a total of six seasons in Gainesville, also as a volunteer aide and an assistant coach.
In the spring of 1996, Shepherd followed Kruger to Illinois where he served as an assistant coach. In 1999-2000, Shepherd joined the Tulsa women's basketball program.
A native of Burlingame, Kan., Shepherd won 10 varsity letters in three sports at Burlingame High School. He lettered in football (4), basketball (4) and track (2). He attended Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., and received a bachelor of science degree in social sciences from Kansas State in 1990.
Hill and Shepherd join Marvin Menzies, who was hired on March 19 to Kruger's staff.
