Golding moving on to UALR
7/1/2008 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ABILENE -- ACU assistant men's basketball coach Joe Golding has joined the coaching staff of head coach Steve Shields at NCAA Division I Arkansas-Little Rock, the school announced Tuesday.
Golding, 32, was hired by Shields, along with former Angelina College head coach Marlon Terry to join former Arkansas all-America center Joe Kleine on his coaching staff. Shields will be in his sixth season as the Trojans' head coach in 2008-09 with the team coming off a 20-11 overall finish. The Trojans advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Post-Season Tournament semifinals last season before falling to league champion Western Kentucky.
Golding leaves the Wildcats after the program's best season in 10 years. Last season the Wildcats finished 20-9 on their way to advancing to the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Tournament semifinals. The 20-win season was the Wildcats' first since 1998-99, and the post-season tournament appearance was the program's first since the 1997-98 season.
Golding was ACU head coach Jason Copeland's first hire after he was named the men's basketball coach, and the two inherited a program that had languished near the bottom of the LSC for more than half a decade. The Wildcats were 8-19 and 10-16 in their first two seasons before Copeland and Golding brought in a group of transfers that included Corwin Ragland, Brandon Callahan and Dejan Sencanski that turned the program's fortunes last season.
"I really appreciate the opportunity that Jason gave me to come back to my alma mater and be part of turning the program around," Golding said. "ACU is in great shape with Jason in charge, and I look forward to many more years of success for the Wildcats under his leadership."
Golding coached the Wildcat guards, and last year he led Ragland to first team all-LSC South Division and second team NCAA all-South Central Region honors. Callahan was also an all-conference selection as the Wildcats' backcourt was the key in its turnaround.
"Joe came in here as a great recruiter, and while he was here he developed into a tremendous on-floor coach," Copeland said. "I am really excited for him to get the opportunity to continue his career at the Division I level. Arkansas-Little Rock has made a great choice in hiring him to join their staff. He'll be missed here not only as a coach, but as a great asset to the university as a person."
Prior to joining the ACU coaching staff, Golding spent the 2004-05 season as the assistant basketball coach at Collin County Community College where his main responsibilities included recruiting and scouting. Prior to his one season at Collin County, he spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at Sachse High School outside of Plano. In the school's first two seasons at the Class 5A level, Golding led it to records of 15-14 (2002-03) and 18-10 (2003-04).
His first coaching job out of ACU was as the varsity assistant at South Garland High School where he helped the team to back-to-back Class 5A playoff appearances. He spent the 2001-02 season as the assistant coach at Seminole State College before going to Sachse.
As a Wildcat player, Golding was a four-year letterwinner from 1994-98, playing for both Tony Mauldin and Shanon Hays. As a senior, he won the Teague Point Guard Award. Golding shot 46 percent from the floor and averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 assists per game over four years. He played in 108 games ? starting 45 ? and never missed a game in four years as a Wildcat as he helped ACU to a 57-51 record in four seasons.
"I'm really looking forward to working with coach Shields and coach (Joe) Kleine," said Golding. "I have a lot of respect for coach Shields, and I can't wait to get on the road and start recruiting for UALR."
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