On Tuesday Coach Will Wade announced that Brian Merritt will be joining his staff as Coordinator of Basketball Operations for the upcoming season in a press release.

“We look forward to having Brian Merritt join our basketball staff,” Wade said. “His work on several different levels, including most recently for John Lucas, will help us as a staff do what is necessary for the success of the LSU program.”

Merritt was most recently an assistant coach for Arizona State in 2016, but was let go after being arrested for suspicion of a DUI. The charges against Merritt were later dismissed in January 2017.

“I am extremely excited to work with Coach Wade and the staff he has assembled here in Baton Rouge,” Merritt said in the press release.

SEC announces start times for conference play

Tip-off times for LSU’s conference games have been announced. The Tigers open up conference play with a home game against Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. on January 3. The game will air live on the SEC Network.