Texas A&M Corpus Christi's head coach Steve Lutz shouts during...

Texas A&M Corpus Christi's head coach Steve Lutz shouts during the second half of a First Four college basketball game against Southeast Missouri State in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Dayton, Ohio. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky hired Steve Lutz as the Hilltoppers' coach on Saturday, quickly completing a national search a week after Rick Stansbury stepped down.

Lutz guided Texas A&M-Corpus Christi past Southeast Missouri State 75-71 on Tuesday for its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory — a First Four matchup of No. 16 seeds. The Islanders then fell 96-75 to overall No. 1 seed Alabama on Thursday.

Lutz is 47-23 lifetime after two seasons at TAMUCC, including going 24-11 this year. His teams saw automatic NCAA Tournament berths after twice winning the Southland Conference Tournament championship.

Lutz, who is from San Antonio, said in a statement that he was excited for the opportunity, adding: “This is a storied program with a rich history of success.”

Lutz will be introduced as WKU's 16th head coach on Monday.

The 50-year-old also is a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, which given a Division I coach for on-court success and off-court moral integrity.

Lutz spent four years as a Purdue assistant coach and helped recruit Boilermakers junior center Zach Edey, a national player of the year prospect. He also assisted at Creighton, which reached the NCAA Tournament four times, SMU and Stephen F. Austin.

Texas A&M-CC guard Ross Williams (23) talks with head coach...

Texas A&M-CC guard Ross Williams (23) talks with head coach Steve Lutz during the second half of a first-round college basketball game against Alabama in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023. Alabama won 96-75. Credit: AP/Butch Dill

WKU athletic director Todd Stewart noted Lutz’s success as an assistant and head coach and praised his recruiting, player development and community involvement. He called Lutz a proven winner.

“He is the right person at the right time to lead our program," Stewart said.

Lutz succeeds Stansbury, who cited a need to focus on his health and family in resigning. Stansbury was 139-89 in seven seasons at WKU but failed to reach to reach the NCAA Tournament.

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