ORU assistant basketball coach Tom Hankins to join Southern Illinois staff
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
4/18/12 at 3:08 AM
Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton said he is losing a key part of his coaching staff.
Sutton said Tom Hankins, his lead assistant for the past 13 years, is leaving to take a similar job at Southern Illinois.
SIU hasn't issued a release, but expects to confirm the hiring in the next few days, said Tom Weber, SIU assistant athletic director for media services.
Such a hire would reunite Hankins, a former Edison High standout, with his old ORU boss, Barry Hinson, who was hired last month to head up the SIU program.
Hankins was an ORU assistant during Hinson's two years as head coach in 1997-99 and stayed on as lead assistant when Sutton was elevated as the Golden Eagles' head coach the following season.
"Obviously, he's been a big part of our success here for the past 15 years and he's part of our family," Sutton said. "We'll miss him, but I support his decision, and I think he will help Barry rebuild SIU basketball."
Original Print Headline: ORU assistant Hankins to join SIU
