Former LSU associate head coach Robert Kirby will return to Baton Rouge for the 2016-17 season to assume the same position, LSU announced Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m very happy to be back in Tigerland,” Kirby said on Wednesday in a press release. “I am looking forward to joining up again and continuing my relationship with [LSU] coach [Johnny] Jones and working with the staff at LSU to build on the tradition and legacy of the LSU basketball program.”
Kirby, who was previously on Jones’ staff in 2012-13, will re-join the Tigers after a three-year stint (61-39 record) at Memphis as an assistant.
The Tigers’ 2012-13 team — in Kirby’s only season — produced a 19-12 record, including an even 9-9 clip against Southeastern Conference opponents.
Kirby will replace former LSU associate head coach and now-TCU assistant David Patrick.
“We are thrilled to have Coach Kirby back as a part of our program,” Jones said. “He was a tremendous asset to our staff. On the recruiting front, he helped us sign a top-rated class (for 2013-14) and a part of that group would wind up playing a major role on the NCAA Tournament team in 2015 in Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey.”
Kirby, who has spent nearly 31 years as a coach in Division I collegiate basketball, is known as one of the nation’s “top recruiters,” according to Rivals.com.
Kirby, other than his four seasons between LSU and Memphis from 2012-16, has gained coaching experience at Georgetown from 2010-12, Mississippi State from 1989-93 and 1998-2010, Houston from 1993-98, Southeastern Louisiana from 1988-89 and Little Rock from 1985-88.
“He is considered one of the top assistant coaches in the country. He is an outstanding basketball coach and recruiter,” Jones said.
Through 31 years of coaching, Kirby has been a coach for 569 Division I victories. He has also been involved in post-season play 18 times, including 11 NCAA Tournaments.
With Kirby’s hire, LSU has filled one of its two vacancies on the sidelines before next season. After the departures of Patrick and former Director of Student-Athlete Development Ronald Dupree, who left Baton Rouge to join former Tiger assistant Eric Musselman at Nevada.