UNO announces Stacy Hollowell as men’s basketball head coach

NEW ORLEANS — Stacy Hollowell has coached men’s basketball in nearly 30 countries, but the chance to coach less than 30 miles from his hometown fulfills his childhood dreams.

Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Tim Duncan announced Hollowell as the 13th head coach of the University of New Orleans men’s basketball team on Thursday.

Hollowell, a Mandeville, La., native and current assistant coach at Texas Southern University, led Loyola University New Orleans to an NAIA National Championship during the 2021-22 season.

“Stacy Hollowell is a coach that I have watched for the past several years. From his national championship season through his time at Ole Miss and Texas Southern, we have talked about the alignment of our basketball philosophies,” said Duncan.

“Coach Hollowell is a family man, a strong recruiter, an innovative basketball mind, and has links to our glorious past through his unique and personal relationship with New Orleans Athletics Hall of Fame Coach Tim Floyd. I am confident he is the leader we need to compete for Southland Conference Championships and NCAA postseason berths! I would like to thank Renaissance Search & Consulting for helping us sort through the overwhelming amount of interest we received over the past week.”

During his eight seasons as head coach at Loyola University New Orleans, Hollowell amassed 166 victories, including five 20-plus win campaigns, and made five appearances in the national tournament. His 2021-22 National Championship season included a 37-1 record despite displacement due to Hurricane Ida. Following his historic season, he was also honored as the NAIA and NABC Coach of the Year.

At Loyola, Hollowell coached Zach Wrightsil, the NAIA National Player of the Year, and Myles Burns, the former NAIA National Tournament MVP who is currently an NBA G-League Player.

Following his national championship win with the Wolf Pack, Hollowell served as associate athletic director for men’s basketball at the University of Mississippi. In that capacity, he focused on the development and mentorship of student-athletes, achieving a top-12 recruiting class as ranked by ESPN in 2023.

Last season at Texas Southern, Hollowell contributed to the Tigers’ advancement to the SWAC tournament finals with a 12-6 conference record, marking a five-game improvement from the previous year.

“As a young aspiring player dribbling the basketball down my street in Mandeville, I was lucky enough to meet Coach Tim Floyd. From that moment until now he has been a friend and mentor and I am honored to be able to follow in his footsteps,” said Hollowell.

“As a kid I had the fortune of seeing how electric Lakefront Arena could be and how galvanized Metro New Orleans could be when UNO basketball was winning. Throughout my career, I’ve been able to work with and build relationships with a number of former UNO coaches. This opportunity is the one I’ve hoped for all along and I could not be more excited to be the next head coach at the University of New Orleans.”

Hollowell’s coaching career traces back to his tenure as an assistant coach for Loyola (2009-2014), where he contributed to the program’s resurgence with the first 20-win season since 1946.

He also gained international experience coaching professionally in Qatar, Lithuania, Bahrain, and China. As assistant coach for the Qatar National Team under former New Orleans men’s basketball coach Joey Stiebing, Hollowell helped the team qualify for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the only world championship appearance in Qatar’s history.

Before his coaching career, Hollowell served as a volunteer assistant men’s basketball coach at Western Kentucky, following his completion of a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Saint Edward’s in Austin, Texas.

Hollowell was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and raised in Mandeville. He was a four-year basketball player at Mandeville High School.

The University of New Orleans will host a press conference to introduce Hollowell to students, faculty, staff, alumni, Privateer supporters, and the news media on Monday, April 29, at 11 a.m. at Lakefront Arena.

Fans interested in securing their season tickets for Privateer basketball are welcome to visit unoprivateers.com/tickets.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Coach Stacy Hollowell epitomizes the essence of coaching excellence. His knowledge, dedication and passion for the game is always on display. The ability to form, establish and maintain relationships is a gift he has that’s second to none. With a magnetic personality, strong family values and a proven track record as both a recruiter and winner will allow him to be a tremendous asset to any organization and community in which he represents.” – Johnny Jones, Texas Southern Head Coach

“The neighborhood kid across the street who I drove to our basketball camps in the eighties. I have followed his career path with great interest and pride. He has succeeded at every level. His national title at Loyola speaks for itself. Stacy has taken no short cuts to get to his dream job. He is ready for this, and I look forward to watching UNO’s future success.” – Tim Floyd, Former University of New Orleans/NBA Head Coach

“Having the opportunity to be coached on the court and held accountable off the court by Stacy Hollowell put my life on a trajectory that I will forever be grateful for. I was blessed to have Coach Stacy as my head coach throughout my entire college career at Loyola University New Orleans. He recruited me, advocated for me, and stuck with me through 3 major injuries that cost me significant time on the court. Upon fulfilling my goal as a student athlete and graduating, a time where the support and connection from your coaches could easily begin fade, it seems our connection and his support of me did the exact opposite and grew stronger. The support, guidance, and genuine love he has shown me has benefited my career, extra-curricular activities, and my overall mindset when it comes to the type of man I also aspire to be. I always tell people that attending Loyola was one of the best decisions of my life. That statement doesn’t become true without Coach Stacy Hollowell.” – Benjamin C. Fields, Former player/Member of Loyola University New Orleans’ Board of Trustees

“Stacy is fantastic. He would do a great job at UNO, and they’d be lucky to have him. Stacy is one of those special people you occasionally get a chance to work with in college athletics. He’s great in the community and is a great connector of people. He brought in several donors during his time with us.” –Brett Simpson, Loyola University New Orleans Athletic Director

“Stacy is fantastic. He has a great grasp on the city of New Orleans and would be a great fit at UNO. He’s a really good recruiter and a really good coach. He has a great family and a good understanding of how to recruit to New Orleans.”
– Kermit Davis, Former Ole Miss Head Coach

SOCIAL MEDIA
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WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation’s biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe!