Just one week after bringing in former NBA coach Eric Musselman, LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones made another move to solidify his staff.
Jones announced Tuesday his promotion of David Patrick to assistant head coach for next season. Patrick spent the last two years on Jones’ coaching staff serving as an assistant coach and recruiter.
“Any time your boss promotes you, it gives you so much more self-value of what you’re worth to the school and the program,” Patrick said.
The LSU Board of Supervisors will review Patrick’s contract during its meeting in September.
Patrick said Jones first brought up his potential promotion following the NCAA Tournament in April. Jones quickly reassembled his coaching staff after former assistant coach Korey McCray announced his departure from the program in early June.
“Everything fell in place because of the team, and we had another spot open up on the staff that we had to fill,” Patrick said.
The Hamilton, Bermuda native played for the Australian Junior National Team before coming to the United States, where he won Louisiana Player of the Year during his senior year at Chapel Trafton High School, now known as The Dunham School, in Baton Rouge. Patrick made the 1996 Final Four with Syracuse but transferred to Louisiana-Lafayette for his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility.
After short stints with professional teams in Australia, England and Spain, Patrick joined the coaching ranks at Nicholls State University. He became director of operations for the St. Mary’s basketball team and eventually served a three-year term as an assistant coach for the Gaels.
That’s where Patrick first met Musselman, who coached the NBA’s Sacramento Kings during the 2006-2007 season. The 38-year-old’s final stop before arriving at LSU was as a player scout for the Houston Rockets.
Patrick received a one-year extension to his contract as part of his promotion. The newfound stability has convinced Patrick to stay at LSU unless a head coaching job becomes available elsewhere, he said.
“The main thing is the extended years of my contract,” Patrick said. “Not that I’m trying to go anywhere else any time soon, but it just allows me to stay here longer with [Jones] and know that we’re trying to build this thing together.”