The formal announcement of the appointment of Scott Nagy, the current head coach of Wright State, as the new head coach for the SIU Salukis is eagerly awaited from Southern Illinois University. This development was disclosed by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello on Thursday morning.
Originally from Champaign, Illinois, Nagy has an impressive coaching record of 577-331 amassed over a 30-year tenure as head coach at Wright State and South Dakota State. His exceptional coaching abilities earned him the Horizon League Coach of the Year award for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020.
Upon assuming the position, Nagy will be succeeding former head coach Bryan Mullins, who held the position for a period of five seasons with the Salukis. It is noteworthy that SIU has not secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament since 2007 or the NIT since 2008.
Nagy began his coaching career in 1995 at South Dakota State, successfully guiding the Jackrabbits through their transition from Division II to Division I in 2007. Under his leadership, the team achieved its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012, followed by two more within the next four years.
Following his appointment at Wright State, Nagy steered the team to an impressive record of 167-91 over eight seasons, maintaining a winning record each year. The team achieved NCAA Tournament berths in 2018 and 2022, and clinched the Horizon League regular season championship three times.
However, Wright State has experienced a slight setback in the past two seasons, with records of 18-15 and 18-13, respectively. The team was eliminated in overtime during the quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament this season.
Prior to his tenure as a head coach, Nagy served as a graduate assistant at Illinois under Lou Henson, as well as an assistant coach at South Dakota State and SIU Edwardsville. His background also includes four years as a player at Delta State, where he holds records for games played and assists.
It is worth noting that Nagy’s father, Dick Nagy, also has a rich history in the coaching world, having served as an assistant coach under Henson for 17 seasons at Illinois.
For additional information, interested parties can contact Brandyn Wilcoxen, the managing editor, via email at [email protected] or connect with him on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen. Stay updated with the latest news from Southern Illinois by following the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.