It sure didn't get any publicity. : ??? I have a few friends up here that are WIU grads. I'll have to talk with them about it.


Becker Joins Western Illinois Men?s Basketball Staff as Assistant Coach
MACOMB, Ill. - Trent Becker, University of Tennessee at Martin?s top assistant, has joined the Western Illinois University men?s basketball coaching staff, replacing assistant coach Jeff Guin who was recently hired at Florida Atlantic.

?I?m very excited for the opportunity to work with (head coach) Derek Thomas and I am looking forward to competing for the Mid-Con title,? said Becker. ?We have come a long way in a few short years toward developing a championship program under Coach Thomas. I hope to take things a step further and help the Leathernecks experience a new level of success.?

Becker, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., has been at UT Martin for five seasons, including the last four as recruiting coordinator. He was a member of the 2001-02 staff which helped the Skyhaws to the most wins in the program?s Division I history. He has coached four all-Ohio Valley Conference players and the OVC Newcomer of the Year

?Trent has been at a program similar to ours in a conference similar to ours,? said Western Illinois head coach Derek Thomas. ?He understands every aspect of building a program from the bottom up and how to move a program up the ladder.?

Prior to UT Martin Becker was an assistant coach at Morningside (Iowa) College for a brief time and was head coach at Woodbury Central High School in Moville, Iowa, from 1998-2001. He posted a three-year mark of 52-17 at Woodbury, including a school-best 24-2 record in his final season, and led the program to a pair of Maple Valley Conference titles. He also served as an assistant coach from 1995-98 at his alma mater, Buena Vista (Iowa) University, where he helped earn the best single-season record in school history, won a conference title, appeared in the school?s first NCAA Tournament and tutored four all-conference post players.

?I think it says a lot about our program that a top assistant coach from a similar school is excited about the direction we?re heading,? Thomas continued. ?Trent will bring us a lot of new recruiting contacts in states we?re currently not in.?

Becker received both his bachelor?s degree in English (1996) and master?s degree in Education Administration (2000) from Buena Vista. He and his wife, Ann, have a daughter Abigail.

Was this announced and I didn't see it?

Wow I didn't hear about this one either

OK,

It is now announced. It was up here in the news a week ago.

http://fausports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052506aaa.html

The guy's resume looks pretty good. I think the basketball team is going to be alright.