Date Posted: 3/27/2008

MACON, Ga. - Mercer Athletics Director Bobby Pope on Thursday introduced veteran coach Bob Hoffman as the new head men's basketball coach, effective immediately. Hoffman was recommended by a 10-member search committee that included Trustees Sam Mitchell, Diane Owens, Tony Moye, Bruce Gordy, Dick Plunkett, Mercer alums and former athletes John Collier and Tommy Mixon and boosters Charlie Cantrell and Henry Arrington. He succeeds Mark Slonaker, who coached the Bears from 1997 to 2008.

A native of Oklahoma City, Hoffman has been successful at all levels and boasts a proven track record from high school through the professional ranks. His overall record as a head coach at the collegiate level is 400-171. When his Mercer team takes the court this fall, he will rank among the top 25 active collegiate coaches in winning percentage.

Hoffman was most recently head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a NBA Development League franchise, and guided the American Basketball Association's Arkansas Aeros to a 25-2 record in 2006-07. The Aeros led the league in scoring, averaging 133 points per game in Hoffman's up-tempo style of basketball.

"Bob Hoffman was the first person we interviewed for our coaching position and he remained on the radar throughout the process," said Pope. "In the end, we felt he was the right fit. We had an excellent pool of candidates, and we feel that his experience and success at all levels, including high school, NAIA, NCAA D-I and professional basketball, make him the ideal choice to lead our program to prominence."

Prior to coaching the Aeros, Hoffman served for two years as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma, where the Sooners recruited a class ranked in the top five nationally. Hoffman helped guide the Sooners to the first Big 12 championship in school history en route to a two-year record of 45-17 and back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

He brings a wealth of additional experience to the position, having served as head coach at the University of Texas Pan American from 1999-2004, compiling a 69-75 record at the NCAA Division I school. The highlight of Hoffman's stint with the Broncs was a 21-9 record during the 2001-02 season.

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