Report: SUU Finalizing Deal To Hire Rob Jeter As Men’s Basketball Head Coach

SALT LAKE CITY – Southern Utah University is finalizing a contract to hire Western Illinois’ Rob Jeter as the Thunderbirds’ new men’s basketball head coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The college insider reported the news on Friday, April 7.

“Sources: Southern Utah is finalizing a deal to make Western Illinois coach Rob Jeter the school’s next head basketball coach,” Thamel tweeted. “He’s been a head coach at Western Illinois and Milwaukee for 14 seasons and is a Bo Ryan disciple.”

Jeter, 53, will replace Todd Simon, who left Southern Utah to become the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons.

RELATED: Bowling Green Hiring Southern Utah Men’s Basketball Coach Todd Simon

Sources: Southern Utah is finalizing a deal to make Western Illinois coach Rob Jeter the school's next head basketball coach. He's been a head coach at Western Illinois and Milwaukee for 14 seasons and is a Bo Ryan disciple.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 7, 2023

Jeter is joining an SUU program that is coming off a 24-13 season. After the regular season and Western Athletic Conference tournament, the Thunderbirds reached the semifinal round of the CBI before falling to Eastern Kentucky.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native is a former college basketball player. Jeter played under Bo Ryan at Wisconsin-Platteville from 1987-91. After his playing days, Jeter entered the coaching world as an assistant at his alma mater in 1994. He coached at Wisconsin-Platteville until 1998 when he became an assistant at Marquette.

After a quick stop at Marquette, Jeter reunited with Ryan at Milwaukee and followed him to Wisconsin in 2001.

In 2005, Jeter was hired as a first-time head coach in a return to Milwaukee. During his time at Milwaukee, Jeter led the Panthers to a pair of Horizon League regular season titles (2006, 2011). He was the Horizon League’s Coach of the Year in 2011. He was the head coach of the Panthers until 2016.

At Milwaukee, Jeter had a 184-170 overall record, including 101-87 in conference games. He led the Panthers to two NCAA tournament berths, a trip to the NIT, and a spot in the 2012 CBI.

MEET SOME THE NEW FOLKS ON THE BLOCK

👋 welcome to Western, 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐉𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫!

➖Rob Jeter

➖head coach for @WIU_MensHoops

>> https://t.co/kWpR97yAvl pic.twitter.com/5J6TuZ7hPU

— WIU Leathernecks (@WIUAthletics) May 16, 2020

From 2016-20, Jeter was an assistant coach at UNLV and Minnesota. Since 2020, he’d been the head coach at Western Illinois.

In three seasons leading the Leathernecks, Jeter coached Western Illinois to a 39-45 record, including 21-29 in Summit League action. The Leathernecks earned a spot in the 2022 TBC.

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