Baden Pronounce

Jason Hooten, assistant coach for Sam Houston State University the past six years, will be leading the men's basketball program this season as the Bearkats' new head coach.

Hooten succeeds Bob Marlin who coached the Kats to a 225-131 record the past 12 seasons. Marlin now is head coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Hooten was announced as the new SHSU head coach on Friday, April 2, 2010.

In his six seasons with the Bearkats, Hooten has helped direct the program to a 127-59 record, four 20-plus victory seasons, Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2010.

"As we began to look at candidates for our head men's basketball coaching position, the support for Jason Hooten from team members, supporters close to the program, university administrators and athletics department internal staff was overwhelming," said Bobby Williams, director of athletics.

"Jason has been an integral part of our men's basketball program, the most successful in the Southland Conference for more than a decade. With Jason as our head coach, the transition period will be much easier."

The 25-8 record for Sam Houston in 2009-10 marks the highest victory total for a Bearkat squad in SHSU's 23 seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Sam Houston stands as one of only 52 programs out of the 340 teams in Division I basketball that have posted 20 or more wins four of the last five years. Among those 52 teams, the Kats have the 28th-best winning percentage.

"This is an exciting challenge for my family and me," Hooten said. "I want to thank President James Gaertner and Bobby Williams for this opportunity. Sam Houston is a great place to be. I'm also grateful to Bob Marlin for hiring me as an assistant six years ago. Coach Marlin gave me the chance to mature as a coach and to work with outstanding student-athletes in a quality academic environment."

Hooten joined the SHSU staff July 1, 2004, helping run practice, recruiting, scouting, scheduling and academics. In 2009, RecruitingRumors.com selected Hooten as one of the top 100 NCAA assistant coaches. Last July, CollegeInsider.com named him to the Mid-Major Top 25 assistant coaches honorable mention list.

Previously, Hooten served as assistant men's basketball coach at Tarleton State University for Lonn Reisman. During his tenure, the Texans posted a combined 204-111 record.

Hooten also played basketball at Tarleton, helping lead the Texans to a 52-10 mark. He returned to Tarleton in August 1993 after serving as a part-time assistant coach at Weatherford Junior College. Hooten assisted in all aspects of the men's basketball program, with an emphasis in recruiting and scheduling.

Hooten's recruiting efforts played a key role in Tarleton's amazing 82-16 overall record his final three seasons with the Texans. In 2004, Tarleton posted a 28-4 record and claimed both the Lone Star Conference North Division title and the LSC Championship. The Texans won back-to-back North Division championships with a 29-4 record in 2002-03 and a 25-8 mark in 2001-02.

During Hooten's 11 seasons with the Texans, nine players earned first team All-LSC honors and five were All-America. Hooten also coached and recruited Tim Burnette who was named Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Small College Player of the Year in 2004.

Hooten played two years at McLennan Community College, where he was an honorable mention all-conference selection and led his team to a league title. At Tarleton, he earned two letters under Reisman, helping the Texans to a pair of 26-5 records and TIAA titles.

A 1987 graduate of Killeen Ellison High School, Hooten lettered in basketball and baseball. He earned all-district, All-CenTex and All-Super CenTex while leading his team to the bi-district championship as a senior. He holds school career records for scoring and assists. In baseball, he twice earned All-District honorable mention and lettered three years. Hooten holds two degrees from Tarleton State, earning a bachelor's in exercise and sport studies in 1993 and a master's in 1995. He is married to the former Kristen Miller. The pair have a daughter, Jadyn (5), and a son Jayce (1).