SIU men’s basketball coach leaving
CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) – Southern Illinois University is parting ways with fifth-year head coach Bryan Mullins.
Coach Mullins served five seasons at his alma mater and recorded an 86-68 record. He had a 19-13 mark this season.
The team’s top-two scorers transfered to different schools in the transfer portal. Marcus Domask went to Illinois and Lance Jones went to Purdue.
SIU was picked to finish ninth this year.
The Salukis were in the hunt for a top seed at the MVC Tournament until the final game of the regular season, when they lost at home to Northern Iowa. Mullins finished third in the voting for the league’s Coach of the Year award.
The season came to an end Thursday night with a double-overtime loss to UIC in the opening round of the tournament.
Mullins achieved lead the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth as the team’s starting point guard from 2006-09. The program reached its zenith in 2007 with a Sweet 16 appearance and No. 11 ranking in the national polls.
He is from Downers Grove, Illinois. He set school records for assists, was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time Academic All-American, and carried a perfect 4.0 GPA. Mullins was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
“I have tremendous respect for everything Bryan has accomplished throughout his career as a Saluki,” said SIU Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. “He guided our program with class and integrity, was an outstanding role model for our student-athletes, and handled himself as a true professional.”
Mullins was hired to replace Barry Hinson in 2019. He led SIU to a 16-16 mark in his first season (2019-20). The team was picked 10th in the pre-season poll, but placed fifth. Mullins finished runner-up for MVC Coach of the Year honors by a handful of votes. The team had a dramatic, last-second win over Missouri State, in which Domask hit a buzzer beater and fans rushed the court.
The Salukis were 12-14 during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
In 2021-22, SIU finished 16-15 and beat Power 5 Colorado.
In the 2022-23 season the Salukis were 23-10, 14-6 in the MVC. They team beat Oklahoma State for the program’s first road win over a Power 5 since 2000.
The Salukis beat Oklahoma State in the 2023-24 season.
The team recorded the program’s first top-25 win in 11 years by beating Indiana State.
Academically, the program has consistently ranked among the best in the Valley in team GPA. Domask earned Academic All-American status.
Leanord says a national search will begin immediately for Mullins’ successor.
