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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1953-06-22)June 22, 1953 Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | April 7, 2023(2023-04-07) (aged 69) |
| Playing career | |
| 1971–1974 | Maryland |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1974–1975 | Morris Harvey (assistant) |
| 1975–1976 | Davidson (assistant) |
| 1976–1979 | Rhode Island (assistant) |
| 1979–1986 | Ohio (assistant) |
| 1986–1989 | Ohio |
| 1989–2001 | Maryland (assistant) |
| 2001–2004 | La Salle |
| 2007–2017 | West Virginia (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 79–99 |
Billy Hahn (June 22, 1953 – April 7, 2023) was an Americanbasketball coach who was an assistant coach for theWest Virginia Mountaineers underhead coachBob Huggins. During his head coaching and assistant coaching career, Hahn has coached and recruited 19 futureNBA players and set various school records atMaryland with numerous NCAA Tournament appearances over his career.
Born inMishawaka, Indiana, Hahn graduated fromPenn High then attended theUniversity of Maryland. During his tenure at Maryland, Hahn was a three-year letterwinner on three of the greatest teams in Terrapins' history. As a freshman, he played on the Terps team that won the1971 National Invitation Tournament. That season, he played as a key reserve off the bench. Hahn was team captain during his senior season and was part of the 1974–1975 squad that went 24–5. Hahn graduated from Maryland with abachelor's degree in distributive education and a minor in business administration in 1975.
Hahn began his coaching career atMorris Harvey College in 1975 as an assistant coach under Rick Meckfessel. In 1976, Hahn became an assistant coach atDavidson College.
After his season atDavidson, Hahn became an assistant coach atRhode Island, where he helped the team to theNCAA tournament in1978, and the NIT in1979.
Hahn recruited and coached futureNBA playerSly Williams while at Rhode Island.
In 1980, Hahn left Rhode Island for the assistant coaching position atOhio University underDanny Nee. During his six-year tenure, the Bobcats won theMid-American Conference Championship in 1983 and 1985 and went to theNCAA tournament in both of the seasons. In 1986, Hahn helped the Bobcats to theNIT.
After the1986 season, Hahn was named head coach. He led the Bobcats to the MAC Championship Game in1988. During his head coaching tenure, he recruited and coached the school's all-time leading scorer,Dave Jamerson, and the MAC Player of the Year in1989,Paul Graham.
After his head coaching stint atOhio University ended following the 1989 season, Hahn returned to hisalma mater, theUniversity of Maryland, to become the assistant coach underGary Williams. During his tenure from 1989 to 2001, Hahn's Terps went to theNCAA tournament a school-record eight straight years, including the 2001Final Four. The Terps also finished fourth or higher in theACC eight consecutive seasons and established school records for regular season victories, 28 in 1999, and ACC victories in a season, 13 in 1999.
Hahn was promoted to associate head coach in 1997 and became the leading recruiter and scout along with his on-court coaching duties. During the tenure, he coachedWalt Williams,Joe Smith, andSteve Francis, who all becameNBA Lottery draft selections. He was also named one of the top ten recruiters in the easternUnited States by Eastern Basketball.
The year after he left, 2002, the Terps won the national championship with most of Hahn's recruits. He was given a championship ring by Williams and the Terrapins basketball squad, even though he was not associated with the school anymore.
Hahn coached futureNBA playersTony Massenburg,Jerrod Mustaf,Keith Booth,Sarunas Jasikevicius,Laron Profit,Terence Morris,Obinna Ekezie,Steve Francis,Chris Wilcox,Lonny Baxter,Steve Blake, andJuan Dixon, at Maryland.
Hahn was hired asLa Salle's men's basketball coach in 2001, succeeding longtime coachSpeedy Morris.[1] In each of his three seasons at La Salle, Hahn'sExplorers had losing records. While at La Salle, Hahn coachedNBA playersSteven Smith andRasual Butler.
Hahn was forced to resign in 2004 when a women's basketball player claimed he discouraged her from reporting a rape she said occurred in April 2003 that allegedly involved one of Hahn's players. Hahn claimed that the woman didn't want to report the incident at the time. However, La Salle school policy required Hahn to report the incident to a counselor. This was to ensure compliance with theClery Act, a federal law which requires colleges to make timely reports of crime on campus. La Salle women's basketball head coach John Miller was also forced to resign on the same day as Hahn, also for not reporting the alleged rape.[2]
After spending three seasons out of coaching, Hahn was hired by new head coach,Bob Huggins, atWest Virginia University in April 2007. Hahn and Huggins had been rivals, when Huggins coachedAkron.
In Hahn's first season with the team, theMountaineers finished the regular season with a 22–9 record. The team also advanced to the semifinals of theBig East tournament and the Sweet Sixteen of theNCAA tournament, which included a second round victory over the #2-seedDuke Blue Devils. Hahn retired from coaching after the 2017 season.
Hahn's son Matt, was a reserve on theMaryland basketball team from 1996–2000. He served as an assistant coach atIUP,Robert Morris, andVermont.[3][4]
Hahn suffered a heart attack and died on April 7, 2023, at the age of 69.[5][6]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Bobcats(Mid-American Conference)(1986–1989) | |||||||||
| 1986–87 | Ohio | 14–14 | 7–9 | 6th | |||||
| 1987–88 | Ohio | 16–14 | 9–7 | 3rd | |||||
| 1988–89 | Ohio | 12–17 | 5–11 | 7th | |||||
| Ohio: | 42–45 | 21–27 | |||||||
| La Salle Explorers(Atlantic 10 Conference)(2001–2004) | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | La Salle | 15–17 | 6–10 | 4th | |||||
| 2002–03 | La Salle | 12–17 | 5–11 | 4th | |||||
| 2003–04 | La Salle | 10–20 | 5–11 | 6th | |||||
| La Salle: | 37–54 | 16–32 | |||||||
| Total: | 79–99 | ||||||||