Texas Southern University Hires DHR Global to Conduct Men's Basketball Coach Search

HOUSTON — Texas Southern University has hired a national search firm to recruit the next men's head basketball coach, a position considered one of SWAC's most coveted jobs. The university confirmed with HBCU Legends on Wednesday that DHR Global will lead the search. This agreement moves them closer to ending a coaching vacancy created by Johnny Jones's departure, with interim head coach Shyrone Chatman guiding the team during the transition.

DHR Global emerged from what the university described as a competitive review process. The firm will help Texas Southern build and vet a broad pool of candidates capable of sustaining a program that ranks among the conference's modern standard-bearers. With the process underway, the university said it will make no further public comment until a sole finalist is named, a stance meant to protect candidate confidentiality and broaden the field.

WHO IS DHR GLOBAL?

For a Texas Southern basketball fanbase wondering what that means in practice, the firm's profile offers a guide. DHR Global is a Chicago-based executive search firm founded in 1989, with more than 50 offices worldwide.

Its sports practice is led by managing partner Glenn Sugiyama, a former Division I assistant coach at Eastern Michigan. Sugiyama is also a former member of the Chicago Bulls board of directors who has placed athletic talent since 2004.

Sugiyama's group advises leagues, ownership groups, and college athletic departments. The firm has built a reputation for running quiet, comprehensive coaching searches.

RECENT HIRES

The firm's recent work in men's basketball has been heavy on hires. This spring, Sugiyama placed Kahil Fennell at Western Michigan and Justin Joyner at Oregon State. He also helped Florida International land Joey Cantens.

In 2023, DHR recruited Nathan Davis to lead New Hampshire. The firm guided Louisville's 2022 search for a head coach and assisted Northwestern in hiring athletic director Derrick Gragg.

On the football side, Sugiyama connected Michigan State with Mel Tucker in 2020 and worked Temple's head coaching search. Past clients include Pittsburgh, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Jose State, Kansas, Syracuse, and Quinnipiac.

One detail in that track record carries weight for an HBCU audience. Fennell, the firm's Western Michigan hire, arrived in Kalamazoo in March as a finalist for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year award, the honor presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I men's basketball and named for the late Southern University coaching legend. Fennell engineered one of the country's larger turnarounds at Texas-Rio Grande Valley before the move, the kind of program-builder profile that has surfaced repeatedly in DHR's recent searches.

That pattern hints at what Texas Southern can expect. DHR's recent basketball hires skew toward proven mid-major builders and tournament-tested names rather than splashy retreads, and the firm tends to keep its candidate lists out of public view until a finalist emerges. For a program with recent sustained success and a recruiting base in talent-rich Houston, that points to a search built on preserving momentum and finding a leader who fits Texas Southern's culture rather than chasing a marquee name.

Replacing Johnny Jones | Credit: TSU Athletics

WHAT'S NEXT FOR TSU

The search follows Jones's departure after eight seasons. He returned to his alma mater, LSU, this spring to join Will Wade's staff as an assistant, ending a tenure that reshaped expectations in Third Ward.

Longtime assistant Shyrone Chatman is serving as interim head coach. Credit him for still actively recruiting talent and making sure the TSU Tigers brand is being held in purgatory. Texas Southern is conducting the search amid an administrative transition, with Dr. Paula L. Jackson serving as interim athletic director and the permanent seat unfilled.

Jones leaves a high bar. He led Texas Southern to four NCAA Tournament appearances, three straight SWAC Tournament titles from 2021 through 2023, and the program's second NCAA Tournament victory in 2021. His teams also produced signature nonconference moments, including a 69-54 win over No. 20 Florida in 2021, the first time a SWAC program defeated a ranked SEC opponent. Whoever DHR delivers will inherit a roster culture built on those results.

The university has not set a public timeline to make a hire, but it's June and recruits will start heading to the campus within weeks. Under the search-firm model, Texas Southern's next coach is likely to be introduced only once the process narrows to a single name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is conducting the Texas Southern men's basketball coaching search?

DHR Global, a Chicago-based executive search firm whose sports practice is led by managing partner Glenn Sugiyama, is conducting the search.

Why is Texas Southern hiring a new men's basketball coach?

Johnny Jones left after eight seasons to join Will Wade's staff at LSU as an assistant coach.

Who is the interim Texas Southern men's basketball coach?

Shyrone Chatman, a longtime assistant under Jones, is serving as interim head coach during the search.

Which coaches has DHR Global recently hired?

Recent placements include Kahil Fennell at Western Michigan, Justin Joyner at Oregon State, Joey Cantens at Florida International, and Nathan Davis at New Hampshire.

When will Texas Southern name its next coach?

The university said it will not comment on the process until a sole finalist is identified, and no public timeline has been set.

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