CONTENTS 2 Quick Facts 3 UTRGV Fieldhouse 4 Strength and Conditioning Facility 5 Victory Center 6 The University 9 #BroncLegacy 10 Men's Basketball History 54 Campus Life 57 The Rio Grande Valley 59 UTRGV Leadership 60 Athletic Leadership 63 The Western Athletic Conference UTRGV VAQUEROS 2 QUICK FACTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION COACHING STAFF Location Edinburg, Texas Head Coach Dan Hipsher Mailing Address 1201 W. University Dr. Alma Mater Bowling Green State, ‘77 Edinburg, TX 78539 Career Record (Years) 257-226 (18th season) Founded 2015 Record at UTPA (Years) 19-44 (Third season) Enrollment ~28,000 Associate Head Coach Andy Hipsher Nickname Vaqueros Alma Mater Akron, '03 School Colors Kelly Green, Navy Blue, Orange Assistant Coach Jai Steadman Arena UTRGV Fieldhouse Alma Mater Nebraska, '97 Capacity 2,500 Assistant Coach Willie Watson National Affiliation NCAA Division I Alma Mater Alabama, '05 Conference Western Athletic Conference PROGRAM RECORDS President Dr. Guy Bailey First Year 1952-53 Director of Athletics Chris King All-Time Record 794-917 (.464) Senior Woman Administrator Farrah Manthei All-Time Conference Record 106-228 (.317) Athletics Office Phone 956-665-2221 All-Time Home Record* 505-276 (.647) Athletics Office Fax 956-665-2261 All-Time Road Record* 223-571 (.281) Athletics Website GoUTRGV.com All-Time Neutral Site Record* 64-60 (.484) 2014-15 Overall Record 10-21 (.323) Associate Athletic Director for 2014-15 WAC Record 4-10 (.286) Communications Jonah Goldberg 2014-15 Home Record 8-4 (.667) SID Email [email protected] 2014-15 Road Record 1-15 (.063) SID Office Phone (956) 665-2240 2014-15 Neutral Site Record 1-2 (.333) SID Office Fax (956) 665-2261 Letter Winners Returning/Lost 4/7 Starters Returning/Lost 4/1 Newcomers 10 *Since 1953-54 UTRGVAthletics @GoUTRGV GoUTRGV GoUTRGVAthletics Credits: The 2015-16 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men's Basketball Information Guide was produced by the staff of the UTRGV Athletics Communications Office. The publication was written and edited by Jonah Goldberg. 3 2015-16 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL THE UTRGV FIELDHOuse Located on the northeast side of campus, the UTRGV In October, 2013, the university updated the building’s Fieldhouse is the home of the volleyball and men’s and HVAC and infrastructure system and also completed a women’s basketball programs. Built in 1969, the UTRGV $50,000 renovation of the men’s and women’s basketball Fieldhouse currently has seating for 2,500. team lounge and locker rooms. In the fall of 2010, the university completed $650,000 in In May 2015, the court was refinished to include the new renovations that included a new main court, new seating, UTRGV marks and colors, as well as a new sponsor. sponsorship signage and improved locker room hallways. The UTRGV Fieldhouse is part of Health and Physical In October 2012, a $250,000 video board and Education Building 1, which is 58,387 square feet and replay system was installed, courtesy of Coca-Cola also contains the majority of the athletic department’s Refreshments. office space, as well as office/classroom space for the department of health and kinesiology, a swimming pool, and locker rooms. The Future The department of intercollegiate athletics is seeking a The first floor construction will include an external naming rights deal for the UTRGV Fieldhouse that will operations suite, ticket office, restrooms, concessions allow for upgrades and enhancements in a way that will stand, team store, sports medicine center and strength improve fan and player experience. and conditioning center. Refurbishments of the UTRGV Fieldhouse will focus on The second floor construction will include an athletics improving amenities to enhance the fan experience while administrative suite and a V Club room for special events. preserving the current seat configuration and seating capacity. Throughout the Fieldhouse, new branding and graphics will be updated to celebrate the tradition and success of A front porch to the Fieldhouse will be constructed, UTRGV volleyball and basketball. including a new entryway with a lobby and dramatic atrium. UTRGV VAQUEROS 4 Strength and CoNditioning In 2014, athletics moved into a new 3,000 square-foot area strength & conditioning facility, and in 2015, with the help of donors, UTRGV Athletics purchased brand new speed and strength equipment, as well as free weight and aerobic/cardio equipment. UTRGV Athletics also acquired new power racks, platforms, benches and dumbbells. The strength and conditioning facility is exclusively for UTRGV student-athletes. 5 2015-16 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL Victory Center For today’s student-athletes, training and conditioning is a year-round commitment. Balancing the rigors of competing at the collegiate level with the demands of the classroom is one of the greatest challenges our student-athletes face. That is why it is so essential that the department of intercollegiate athletics provides our student-athletes with access to hands- on academic support. Located in the Academic Services Building, the Victory Center is an integral part of the life of our student- athletes and has a vast amount of services and assistance available. The Victory Center is structured after the principles of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, which is created to provide student-athletes with five basic components: Academic Excellence, Athletic Excellence, Community Service, Career Development and Personal Development. UTRGV has approximately 257 student-athletes, including approximately 150 freshmen and transfers, who are required to attend study hall and specially designed workshops that assist them in acclimating to college life and living away from home. Student-athletes must dedicate anywhere from six to 10 hours each week to study hall as they work toward their ultimate goal, graduation. The Victory Center provides student-athletes access to computers, tutors and other resources. The Victory Center, which is open six days a week (Sunday-Friday), houses a computer lab, a learning lab, areas for both individual and group study, and offices for the Academic Advisement Center staff. Each student-athlete works with their college advisor to make Erika Perez Krystal Cervantes Scott Smith sure that they are enrolled in the correct classes to graduate. Senior Student-Athlete Advisor Student-Athlete Advisor Student-Athlete Advisor The Victory Center staff verifies the classes to ensure that the student- athlete is working towards their degree, making yearly satisfactory progress and meeting grade point average requirements. UTRGV VAQUEROS 6 THE UNIVERSITY A New University with a Long History UT Brownsville and UT Pan American The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was created The shared history of The University of Texas- by the Texas Legislature in 2013 in a historic move Pan American and The University of Texas at that brings together the resources and assets of UT Brownsville goes back to 1973, when Pan American Brownsville and UT Pan American and, for the first time, opened a second campus in Brownsville, which makes it possible for residents of the Rio Grande Valley later became an independent institution of The to benefit from the Permanent University Fund — a public University of Texas System in 1991. Over the years, endowment contributing support to the University of the missions and the identities of these great Texas System and the Texas A&M University System. institutions have continually evolved to serve the communities of the Rio Grande Valley. Our new university will also be home to a School of Medicine and will transform Texas and the nation by The evolution and connection between these becoming a leader in student success, teaching, research, two institutions has now come full circle as UTB and health care. UTRGV will enroll its first class in the fall and UTPA have been established as a single, of 2015, and the School of Medicine will open in 2016. new university, with a single, new identity — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 7 2015-16 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL Creating America's Next Great UNIVERSITY In the Fall of 2015, the landscape of higher education in Eleven colleges and schools will form the academic the U.S. will forever be changed. The University of Texas foundation for UTRGV, including: Rio Grande Valley will enroll its inaugural class of first- year students, and this region will shine to the rest of the •College of Medicine world as a global leader in higher education, bilingual •College of Health Affairs education, health education, biomedical research, and •College of Sciences emerging technology. •College of Liberal Arts •College of Fine Arts •College of Engineering and Computer Science •College of Business and Entrepreneurship •College of Education and P-16 Integration •Honors College •Graduate College •University College When the UTRGV School of Medicine is fully accredited, a College of Medicine and Health Affairs will be formed that will include Nursing, Social Work, and Allied Health. Until that time, UTRGV will operate a College of Medicine and College of Health Affairs on an interim basis. UTRGV will combine the talent, assets, and resources Every accomplishment in life begins with a choice. The of UT Brownsville, UT Pan American, and the Regional bigger the choice, the bigger the accomplishment. When Academic Health Center, along with other resources, to it comes to your potential, your goals, and your future, create a new model of excellence in education. Here is choosing the right university is as big as it gets. our transition plan for this significant journey: At UTRGV, we offer a learning experience that we believe Students enrolled at UT Brownsville and UT Pan cannot be matched. American are automatically admitted to UTRGV. 1933-48 Edinburg Junior College, as the only institution OUR STORY of higher learning in South Texas, experienced rapid growth in its early years, prompting administrators to pursue the first name change.