UTEP MINERS
UTEP Head Coach
Joe GOLDING Abilene Christian ‘99 First Season at UTEP 23rd Season as a Coach Joe Golding, who led Abilene Christian to the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons and an upset win over third-seed Texas in this year’s March Madness, was appointed the 20th head coach in UTEP men’s basketball history on April 13, 2021. Golding, 46, performed a remarkable turnaround at ACU after shepherding the Wildcats’ transition from Division II to Division I. He guided the Wildcats to a record of 158-144 in 10 seasons at the helm of the program (2011-2021), including a 71-23 mark over the last three years. ACU chalked
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up three consecutive 20-win seasons, finishing with a 27-7 mark in 2018-19, the most wins in program history. ACU finished 20-11 overall and 15-5 in league play during the 201920 season before the postseason was canceled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It marked just the second time in program history that the team put together back-to-back 20-win seasons including the postseason; the first came during coach Golding’s playing days. Golding directed ACU to a 24-5 overall record and a 13-2 Southland Conference mark
during the 2020-21 campaign. The Wildcats claimed the Southland Conference tournament title, and the first NCAA Tournament win in program history when #14 seed ACU shocked the heavily favored Longhorns, 53-52, in the first round on March 20. Golding was named the NABC District 22 co-Coach of the Year, while Kolton Kohl was selected to the All-District 22 first team. Kohl was also named to the 2020-21 All-Southland Conference first team, while Joe Pleasant earned second team All-League honors and Coryon Mason garnered third team
