TAMPA, Fla. (June 15, 2007) ?  The University of South Florida men's basketball program has added Reggie Hanson as an assistant coach with the program, first-year head coach Stan Heath announced Friday afternoon.

“Reggie has already built a reputation as a very strong recruiter,” Heath said.  “He has worked for and played under some of the top coaches in the business and brings a wealth of experience as both a player and a coach to the program.”

Hanson arrives in Tampa after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky, for each of the past seven seasons.  His duties with the Wildcats included off-campus recruiting and on-court instruction.  The program reached the NCAA tournament each of his seven seasons with the team, highlighted by a pair of Elite Eight (2003, 2005) and Sweet 16 (2001, 2002) appearances.

The Somerset, Ky., native joined the staff at Kentucky following a successful eight-year professional basketball career.  His playing days included a brief stop with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics (1998), but were highlighted by an extended stay in the Japanese Basketball League.  Hanson spent seven seasons in Japan, serving as both a player and a coach.  He was the league's leading scorer in both 1995 and 1996 and claimed the Defensive Player of the Year award.

He averaged 20.6 points and 8.7 rebounds for his JBL career, shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and 84.1 percent from the free throw line.  Hanson also played one season (1991-92) with the Louisville Shooters of the Global League.

The four-year letterwinner was named All-Southeastern Conference as both a junior and a senior and also captured team most valuable player accolades.  The program's sacrifice award ? the Reggie Hanson Sacrifice Award ? was named in his honor.  He helped the 1990-91 squad to an overall record of 22-6 while serving as team captain and finished his standout career with 1,167 points (currently ranks 38th all-time at UK).