ITTA BENA - Mississippi Valley State University welcomed Lindsey Hunter as their new Men's Head Basketball Coach on Wednesday morning during a press conference in the R.W. Harrison Complex.

Director of Athletics Dianthia Ford-Kee introduced Hunter, who spoke to a packed house of media members and invited guests. Hunter, who graduated from Jackson State University in 1993, last served as an assistant coach on the University of Buffalo basketball staff in 2016-17. He was announced as the 11th head coach in program history on April 20, 2019.

"It has been a dream of mine to run my own program," Hunter said. "I have had opportunities to go other places and work for other people, but at a certain point and time in your life, you have to do the things that you want to do and start your own journey. I have prepared for this."

Hunter spent 17 years in the NBA as a player and another two years as a coach in the league, including as interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns. In his only season on the UB coaching staff, the Bulls went 17-15 while earning the number three seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Hunter was the 10th pick overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons after concluding his college career at Jackson State University.  Hunter played for Detroit from 1993-2000 before spending a year with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. He won his first NBA Title playing for the Lakers in 2001-02.

A native of Utica, MS., Hunter lettered three years at Jackson State University where he averaged 26.7 points per game as a senior and he was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.  He led Jackson State to an upset of UConn in the 1993 Postseason NIT.  Hunter spent his freshman season at Alcorn State University where he was named the 1989 SWAC Freshman of the Year.

"We are going to work, recruit, and with everyone's help we will welcome all of the new recruits to our program, but there will not be a time where we are not grinding and out here trying to make this better," Hunter added Wednesday. "That's our job, that's my job. I love basketball, this is my life. In between these lines is where I am most comfortable."

The MVSU men's basketball program has a rich history consisting of five NCAA Tournament appearances (1986, 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012). The Delta Devils finished with a 6-26 overall record in 2018-19 with a 4-14 SWAC record.