Three Added to TSU Men's Basketball Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University head coach Travis Williams announced his coaching staff for the 2012-13 season on Tuesday afternoon. Ben Betts, Rodney Hamilton and Brandon Johnson join the Tigers men's basketball program - all of which have experience at the NCAA Division I level.

Williams brings three staff members that have a strong expertise in academics, recruiting and success. Betts and Hamilton have been head coaches at previous stops, while Johnson served as an assistant with former TSU head coach John Cooper at Auburn.

"I was really overjoyed by all the national interest our program generated for these positions," said Williams. "I wanted to hire guys with great experience coaching on all levels and fit the criteria to carry on what we have started here at TSU."

Betts was head coach at South Carolina State from 2004 until 2006 and most recently worked in collegiate hoops as an assistant under Jeff Capel at Oklahoma in 2011. He helped the Sooners to an elite appearance with future NBA star Blake Griffin in 2009.

Last season, Betts spent the year as the Director of Basketball at the Spectrum Sports Academy in Roanoke, Virginia.

Hamilton joined the Tigers after three successful years as head coach of Indiana Tech's women's basketball program. The Memphis native guided Indiana Tech to a No. 15 ranking and helped the team tie for the most regular season wins in the past nine seasons.

Hamilton previously worked at Ohio Valley Conference foe Southeast Missouri for two seasons.

Johnson joins the Tigers after spending the past three years as an advisor for John Lucas Basketball Resources.

The veteran coached five years at Auburn. During that time, he played a vital role in helping revitalize the Auburn basketball program as the Tigers nearly claimed a SEC West Division title in 2007.

"I felt very comfortable hiring Ben, Brandon and Rodney," noted Williams. "These individuals bring a great level of professionalism, integrity, work ethic, recruiting and coaching experience."

Tennessee State posted a 20-13 record - the best in 32 seasons for the Tigers. Coach Williams was named the 16^th TSU head men's basketball coach on April 13.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION