Rian Stubbs is in his first season with the UTEP men’s basketball team where he will serve as special assistant to the head coach, Joe Golding.
Stubbs came to UTEP from New Mexico State, working for head coach Chris Jans. During his inaugural season at NM State, Stubbs served as the special assistant to the head coach and was involved in all aspects of the program. The Aggies advanced to the WAC Tournament championship contest for the ninth straight season despite being unable to play any games within the state of New Mexico due to in-state COVID-19 restrictions.
Stubbs was promoted to the position of video coordinator in the summer of 2021. The Aggies achieved new heights during the 2021-22 season, winning the WAC regular season and tournament championship while also knocking off fifth-seeded UCONN for their first victory in the NCAA Tournament in 29 years.
Prior to his time with NM State, Stubbs spent four seasons at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colo. He was the head men’s basketball coach for three seasons and an assistant coach for one year. As the head coach he directed LCC to 52 wins, including a 20-victory effort in 2017-18. Overall the Lopes finished 78-49 in his four years and multiple players moved on to play NCAA DI basketball in leagues such as the America East, Big Sky, Horizon League, MEAC, Summit League and the WAC.
The native of Corsicana, Texas, spent one year as the associate head men’s basketball coach at NCAA DIII program Hardin-Simmons in the stop prior to LCC. The school captured its first American Southwest Conference (ASC) title, advanced to its initial NCAA Tournament in program history and won a game in the event for the first time.
Stubbs also spent two years as an assistant coach for Clarendon College, an NJCAA Division I Region program. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Hardin-Simmons. The team was 37-18, including a school-record best 21-7 in 2011-12.
He played collegiately for Clarendon College before finishing his career at Hardin-Simmons. Stubbs earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master’s degree in counseling and human development from Hardin-Simmons.
