Ron Hunter

Last updated

Ron Hunter
Ron Hunter Georgia St.jpg
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Tulane
Conference The American
Record73–74 (.497)
Biographical details
Born (1964-04-07) April 7, 1964 (age 60)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
1982–1986 Miami (OH)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1987–1993 Milwaukee (assistant)
1993–1994 Miami (OH) (assistant)
1994–2011 IUPUI
2011–2019 Georgia State
2019–present Tulane
Head coaching record
Overall518–388 (.572)
Tournaments1–4 (NCAA Division I)
0–1 (NIT)
1–1 (CBI)
1–2 (CIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Summit League tournament (2003)
Summit League regular season (2006)
3 Sun Belt tournament (2015, 2018, 2019)
3 Sun Belt regular season (2014, 2015, 2019)
Awards
Summit League Coach of the Year (2003, 2006)
Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2014)

Ronald Eugene Hunter (born April 7, 1964) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach of the Tulane University Green Wave. His son, R. J. Hunter, was a first-round NBA draft pick for the Boston Celtics.

Contents

High school

Hunter attended and played for Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio from 1978 to 1982.

Coaching career

IUPUI

From 1994 to 2011, Hunter served as the head coach at IUPUI. [1] Under his direction, the team advanced from an NAIA program to NCAA Division I. In its third season as a Division I program, Hunter led IUPUI to its first, and thus far only, NCAA tournament appearance in 2003. On January 24, 2008, Hunter coached a game against Oakland University while barefoot. He did this to benefit Samaritan's Feet, a foundation that works to provide hope and love to impoverished children around the world by washing their feet and giving them a new pair of shoes. His goal was to collect 40,000 shoes; however, before tip-off, over 110,000 pairs of shoes had been donated. [2]

Georgia State

On March 21, 2011, it was announced Hunter would replace Rod Barnes as the Georgia State Panthers' men's basketball head coach. [1] During his first season at GSU, Georgia State won 22 games, the fourth most in school history.

Hunter captured national attention for a moment that occurred in the 2015 NCAA tournament. After tearing his Achilles celebrating the Panthers' Sun Belt Conference tournament championship, he was forced to coach their subsequent NCAA appearance while sitting on a rolling stool due to his injury. In their second-round game against the three seed, Baylor, Hunter's son R. J. hit a deep, game-winning three with seconds left on the clock. When the shot went in, Hunter's stool slipped out from underneath him while exuberantly celebrating, sending him tumbling to the floor while continuing to display his jubilation. The moment spurred a torrent of media attention and resulted in multiple features, interviews, and a spot in 'One Shining Moment' at the conclusion of the tournament. [3]

On November 20, 2017, in a win over Eastern Washington, Hunter earned his 400th career win. [4]

Ron Hunter has played a key role in the ongoing transformation of the athletics culture at Georgia State, particularly with the basketball program and their continuing ascension from being one of the most unsuccessful programs in NCAA Division I history to being one of the premier Mid-Major programs in the nation. Some of Ron Hunter's most notable wins as head of coach of Georgia State are: VCU (2011), [5] #16 Baylor (2015), Georgia (2018) [6] and Alabama (2018). [7] Hunter also notched a win against crosstown foe, Georgia Tech, in a 2017 charity exhibition known as the 'A-Town Showdown for Hurricane Relief'. [8]

Tulane

On March 24, 2019, Hunter was named the head coach at Tulane, replacing Mike Dunleavy. [9]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
IUPUI Jaguars (NAIA Independent)(1994–1998)
1994–95IUPUI 16–13
1995–96IUPUI 22–7
1996–97IUPUI 16–11
1997–98IUPUI 17–9
IUPUI Jaguars (Mid-Continent Conference/The Summit League)(1998–2011)
1998–99 IUPUI 11–166–86th
1999–00 IUPUI 7–214–128th
2000–01 IUPUI 11–186–106th
2001–02 IUPUI 15–156–86th
2002–03 IUPUI 20–1410–42nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2003–04 IUPUI 3–11*2–6*2nd
2004–05 IUPUI 16–139–74th
2005–06 IUPUI 19–1013–3T–1st
2006–07 IUPUI 15–157–74th
2007–08 IUPUI 26–715–32nd
2008–09 IUPUI 16–149–94th
2009–10 IUPUI 25–1115–32nd CBI Quarterfinals
2010–11 IUPUI 19–1412–63rd
IUPUI:274–219 (.556)114–86 (.570)
Georgia State Panthers (Colonial Athletic Association)(2011–2013)
2011–12 Georgia State 22–1211–75th CIT Second round
2012–13 Georgia State 15–1610–85th
Georgia State Panthers (Sun Belt Conference)(2013–2019)
2013–14 Georgia State 25–917–11st NIT first round
2014–15 Georgia State 25–1015–51st NCAA Division I Round of 32
2015–16 Georgia State 16–149–116th
2016–17 Georgia State 20–1312–62nd CIT first round
2017–18 Georgia State 24–1112–62nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2018–19 Georgia State 24–1013–51st NCAA Division I Round of 64
Georgia State:171–95 (.643)99–49 (.669)
Tulane Green Wave (American Athletic Conference)(2019–present)
2019–20 Tulane 12–184–1412th
2020–21 Tulane 10–134–1210th
2021–22 Tulane 14–1510–85th
2022–23 Tulane 20–1112–63rd
2023–24 Tulane 14–175–13T–10th
2024–25 Tulane 3–00–0
Tulane:73–74 (.497)35–53 (.398)
Total:518–388 (.572)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

*18 wins (including 8 conference wins) vacated by NCAA [10]

Personal life

Hunter and his wife, Amy, have two children: Jasmine and Ronald (R. J.).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers</span> Intercollegiate teams of Georgia State University

The Georgia State Panthers are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Georgia State University, located in Atlanta, Georgia. All GSU teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS level as members of the Sun Belt Conference, a conference of which they were a charter member. Previously, GSU was a member of the CAA, and prior to that, the ASUN Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers men's basketball</span> Mens basketball team

The Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represents Georgia State University and competes in the Sun Belt Conference of NCAA Division I. The Panthers play at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers baseball</span> American college baseball team

The Georgia State Panthers baseball team represents Georgia State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference. It first began competing there before moving to the TAAC, and the CAA. Beginning July 1, 2013, Georgia State returned to the Sun Belt Conference for all sports. The Panthers play their home games at Georgia State's Panthersville sports complex in the GSU Baseball Complex.

The 2011–12 CAA men's basketball season marked the 27th season of Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball, taking place between November 2011 and March 2012. Practices commenced in October 2011, and the season ended with the 2012 CAA men's basketball tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012–13 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2012–13 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter in his second season at GSU. They played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena and were members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). This was their final year in the CAA before moving to the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 15–16, 10–8 in CAA play to finish in a tie for fifth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament</span> Edition of USA college basketball tournament

The 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2014–15 season. The 77th edition of the tournament began on March 17, 2015, and concluded with the championship game on April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Georgia State Panthers women's basketball team represents Georgia State University and competes in the Sun Belt Conference of NCAA Division I. The Panthers play at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. J. Hunter</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Ronald Jordan Hunter is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Georgia State Panthers under the direction of his father and Georgia State head coach, Ron Hunter, being named twice Sun Belt Player of the Year as well as the Sun Belt Conference Male Athlete of the Year. He holds the school record for most career points with a total of 1,819 after just three seasons of play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2014–15 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter serving his fourth season at GSU. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena competing as members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 25–10, 15–5 in Sun Belt play to win the Sun Belt regular season championship. They defeated Louisiana–Lafayette and Georgia Southern to become champions of the Sun Belt tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Baylor in the second round before losing in the third round to Xavier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter in his fifth season. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena and competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 16–14, 9–11 in Sun Belt play to finish in sixth place. They lost in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament to Texas State

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers women's beach volleyball</span>

The Georgia State Panthers women's beach volleyball team represents Georgia State University in the sport of beach volleyball. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA (C-USA). The Panthers play their home matches at the GSU Sand Volleyball Complex on the university's Atlanta campus, and are currently led by head coach Beth Van Fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Harrow</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Ryan Harrow is an American professional basketball player. Harrow finished his NCAA college career with the Georgia State Panthers, and is regarded as one of the greatest Panther basketball players ever. He plays the point guard position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter who was in his sixth season at Georgia State. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta as members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 20–13, 12–6 in Sun Belt play to finish in second place. They defeated Louisiana–Lafayette in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Troy. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to Texas A&M–Corpus Christi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament</span> 2021 edition of NCAA Division 1 Mens college basketball tournament

The 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2020–21 season. The 82nd edition of the tournament began play on March 18, 2021, in sites around the state of Indiana, and concluded with the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 5, with the Baylor Bears defeating the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs 86–70 to earn the team's first ever title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter, who was in his seventh season at Georgia State. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 24–11, 12–6 in Sun Belt play to finish the regular season in second place. The Panthers defeated Troy, Georgia Southern, and UT Arlington to become champions of the Sun Belt tournament. As a result, they received the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 15 seed in the West region, they lost to Cincinnati in the first round.

D'Marcus Simonds is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for Georgia State. He was named the 2017–18 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as well as the Georgia Men’s College Co-Player of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ron Hunter, who coached his eighth and final season at Georgia State. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Finishing with a 13–5 conference record, GSU won its third Sun Belt regular season championship in the last six years. The Panthers defeated Texas State, and UT Arlington to become champions of the Sun Belt tournament. As a result, they received the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost to Houston in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Rob Lanier, who was coaching his first season at Georgia State. The Panthers played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 19–13, 12–8 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They were the No. 4 seed in the Sun Belt tournament, where they lost to Georgia Southern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by third-year head coach Rob Lanier, played their home games at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 18–11, 9–5 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place. They defeated Arkansas State, Appalachian State, and Louisiana to win the Sun Belt tournament championship. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 16 seed in the West region. They lost in the first round to overall No. 1 seed Gonzaga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represented Georgia State University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by first-year head coach Jonas Hayes, played their home games at new the GSU Convocation Center in Atlanta, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference.

References

  1. 1 2 Katz, Andy (March 21, 2011). "Coach who shed shoes for charity changes jobs". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  2. "IUPUI coach will roam sidelines barefoot to help charity". ESPN. January 23, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  3. Cooper, Sam (March 20, 2015). "Dramatic R. J. Hunter 3-pointer gives Georgia State upset over Baylor (Video)". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  4. Holmes, Mike (November 20, 2017). "Panthers Top EWU 68-50; Hunter Earns 400th Career Win". Georgia State University. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. Holmes, Mike (January 4, 2012). "11 in a Row! GSU Earns First Win at VCU, 55-53". GeorgiaStateSports.com. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  6. Bradley, Mark (November 22, 2018). "Georgia State beats UGA by 24, and it was no upset". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  7. "Georgia State scores dramatic upset of Alabama". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  8. "Panthers Top Tech 65-58 in 'A-Town Showdown'". Georgia State University. October 28, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. Bradley, Mark (March 24, 2019). "Ron Hunter says he's leaving Georgia State for Tulane". The Atlanta Journal–Constitution . Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  10. "2014-15 MBB Record Book (.pdf)" (PDF). IUPUI Athletics. Retrieved February 28, 2024.