Recently hired UTRGV Men’s Basketball head coach Khalil Fennell announced in separate Monday news releases that the university has hired Brock Erickson and Dustin Yoder for the team’s coaching staff.
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The hirings mark the first additions to Fennell’s coaching staff since he was hired to replace former head coach Matt Figger, as reported by The Rider on Monday.
Erickson will be the associate head coach and Yoder will be the assistant coach, according to the news releases.
Erickson spent the previous three seasons as the men’s basketball head coach at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts. He led the Division III Bisons to a 22-4 overall record, with a record of 15-1 within the Commonwealth Coast Conference last season.
“I am incredibly grateful to be joining Coach Fennell’s staff and the UTRGV community,” Erickson is quoted as saying in a news release. “I could not be more excited to get to work with our players, coaches, and administration to #RallyTheValley.”
For his efforts, he secured four consecutive regular season championships for Nichols College and earned the CCC Coach of the Year award.
Fennell called Erickson a “high level coach that brings a tremendous amount of experience” in a news release announcing Erickson’s hiring.
“He has a fantastic track record of helping build programs in creative ways,” Fennell is quoted as saying in the news release. “When coupled with his impressive record as a head coach, Brock is the perfect fit to become our Associate Head Coach.”
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Yoder was an assistant coach for two seasons at the University of California, Riverside. Last season, he helped lead the Division I Highlanders to a 16-18 season, with the team averaging 70.7 points and 13.1 assists per game.
Yoder was named one of Silver Waves Media’s 75 Rising Stars Impactful Men’s Mid-Major Assistants during both of his seasons as the assistant coach of the Highlanders.
“My family is incredibly thankful for the opportunity Coach Fennell has given us to join the UTRGV men’s basketball program,” Yoder is quoted as saying in the news release. “We are excited to build a first-class program and atmosphere for the Rio Grande Valley community.”
Fennell said that Yoder was “a hugely important piece to our staff” given his “terrific feel for offense.”
“We’re fortunate that he is joining us in the Valley,” he said. “[Yoder] has demonstrated a tremendous ability to recruit and relate to players.”
Fennell, Erickson and Yoder will lead the Vaqueros into their first season in the Southland Conference in Fall 2024.
