UTPB did not take much time to find its new leader of the men’s basketball program.
Kyle Tolin was formally introduced as the next head coach of the Falcons during a press conference Thursday at the D. Kirk Edwards Family Human Performance Center.
Tolin spent the last seven seasons as the head coach at the University of Arkansas-Monticello and led the Boll Weevils to a Great American Conference Tournament Championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament this past season.
He said that he had a strong team coming back heading into the 2021-22 season but ultimately said that the job just turned into the right fit for him and his family.
“The process happened so quick,” Tolin said. “You’re trying to wrap your head around with questions like ‘Can I do this?’, ‘Am I ready to do it?’, ‘Are we going to be able to get enough guys and enough assistants in here.’ The job was too good to turn down.”
Tolin replaces Josh Newman, who spent the last three seasons leading UTPB. Newman was named an assistant coach at Division I University of the Pacific in Stockton, California on Thursday.
UTPB Director of Athletics Todd Dooley said that Tolin stood out early on when going through the coaching search.
“As the process got started, we sought out a coach who reflects the values of the athletic department as well as the values of our university,” Dooley said.
After listing off the qualities that included pursuing excellence, strong recruiting and integrity, Dooley added, “Kyle Tolin exemplifies all of those things and more and I couldn’t be more thrilled for him to join us in our Falcon family.”
Tolin added that his vision and Dooley’s vision aligned with how to move the program forward.
“The culture was big for me as well as the resources,” Tolin said. “When you look at this room and the facilities, I felt like this is a place that you can win at a high level.”
He added: “Josh did a great job and the history of this program has been really good and continues to get better and that’s our goal here.”
In order to reach those goals, Tolin emphasized the importance of having the right people in place to what he’s trying to mold the program into.
He said that he’s talked to every player that was slated to return to the Falcons this season with some opting to move on from the program and some choosing to stay on.
Because of the condensed timeline between now and the start of the season, Tolin said that one of the most important points of emphasis was to build those relationships.
“There were some guys that were instrumental in the success of last year’s team that are going to be around but we’re going to have to bring several guys in as well to help these guys. Our job is to make sure that we’re on the same page.”
On the court, Tolin said that he wants to play fast with plenty of ball movement with even more emphasis on getting players to buy in on the defensive end.
He added that patience is going to be key as he puts his stamp on the program.
“You have to understand that they don’t know what you’re teaching them because everyone’s got different philosophies,” Tolin said. “I think that’s the first thing and then you try to get them sped up as quick as you can.”
The Falcons finished 8-12 in 2020-21 that included a stretch of 11 straight games against ranked opponents from the Lone Star Conference. Programs like Lubbock Christian, Dallas Baptist and West Texas A&M all are nationally ranked and Tolin believes that the program has what it takes to get that elite level.
“It’s going to be about getting the right guys in here with the right fit,” he said. “The goal is to get the program to that level. I feel like you can do it here. I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t believe that we can be at the top of this league.”
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