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REPORT: Rutgers Basketball To Hire UCONN Assistant Karl Hobbs as Associate Head Coach

By Aaron Breitman
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Earlier today, Rutgers point guard Corey Sanders announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft.  And now, there is this report:

UPDATE:

I want to emphasize this is an unconfirmed report and at the time of this post no other outlets have confirmed the same. There are now multiple media outlets, including Rutgers beat writers Jerry Carino and Keith Sargeant, confirming that Hobbs will join Pikiell at Rutgers!

Hobbs is a great hire by new Rutgers men's basketball coach Steve Pikiell. Hobbs, no relation to Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs, is in his second stint as an assistant coach at UConn.  He was there under hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun from 1993-2001 and then Hobbs became the head coach at George Washington.  He amassed a record of 166-129 in ten seasons at GW, making the postseason five times, including three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament. After being fired by the school, he returned to UConn as an assistant coach under new head coach Kevin Ollie, where he has been since 2012.

Hobbs won two national championships as an assistant at UConn. He is known as an intense coach and a great recruiter. Hobbs was the lead recruiter in bringing Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, and Khalid El-Amin to Storrs to play under the legendary Calhoun, which was the core of the 1999 national champion team.  NBA great Ray Allen, one of the best jump shooters in basketball history, credits Hobbs with his development. From this 2011 article:

When Allen arrived at UConn from Dalzell, S.C., he possessed an unrefined jump shot. He often credits former UConn assistant Karl Hobbs with polishing his technique.

Hobbs worked with Allen on finding open spots on the floor and adding some arc to a flat shot. He had Allen watch tapes of Miller and Hersey Hawkins.

Hobbs would be a home run hire by Pikiell, giving him an experienced recruiter and coach who can help him navigate the rough waters at Rutgers and in the Big Ten.  Pikiell and Hobbs have a close relationship, being in the Calhoun/UConn family, then together at GW, when Hobbs hired him as an assistant coach.  This type of familiarity will help Pikiell hit the ground running with a trusted confidant by his side. Hobbs also brings instant credibility to the program and is well respected around basketball circles.

Again, nothing official from Rutgers at this point, but this could be a big moment for Pikiell and the program. As more information becomes available, we will update this story.