RUSTON, La (KMSS/KTAL) – Talvin Hester’s new workplace is a familiar one for him.
after serving as an assistant at Louisiana Tech from 2018-2021 he’s in charge. Hester was Introduced as the 19th head coach in Louisiana Tech basketball history on Tuesday. and
With twenty years of experience as an assistant, and twenty years of being doubted, his dream has finally come true.
“Was told I’d never be a division I coach, that’s a far-fetched dream for a JUCO guy. I was told when I was at Prairie View A&M as an assistant that those coaches don’t get out of the SWAC and I got out of the SWAC,” said Hester who made stops at San Jose State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, Houston, and Oral Roberts before heading to Louisiana Tech.
“I was told when I was at these smaller programs it’s hard to get to the Big 12. I got to the Big 12 and I got to the sweet 16 so I don’t like being told what I can’t do.”
Fresh off that Sweet 16 appearance as an assistant at Texas Tech, the Bulldogs will play a hard-nosed brand of basketball, which fits their new leader perfectly.
“A guy who got it out of the mud like they say, started at a Division III junior college and pretty much worked at every level of Division I that you can imagine to work my way up to becoming a head coach. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I didn’t come from coaching royalty, I just worked under coaching royalty working my way here.
In Hester’s three seasons on the bench in Ruston the Bulldogs went 45-3 inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
