Hank Harris is his second season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at South Carolina State University. His primary duties will be recruiting, academics and coaching post players.
Harris has over eighteen years of coaching experience at the collegiate and high school level. Harris spent two seasons (2004-2006) as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, KS. In his first season with Saints, he helped the team return back to the top of the Jayhawk West Conference standings. In 2004-05 the team finished in second place with a 23-9 overall record and an 11-5 conference mark, while reaching Region VI Tournament. In the year prior to Harris’ arrival, the Saints finished with a dismal 9-23 record. In the two seasons that Harris spent at Seward, the team finished with a record of 40-22.
Prior to his stint at Seward County Community College, Harris was an assistant coach at Highland Park High School in Topeka, KS (1999-2004). During the 2003-04 season, he helped guide Highland Park to the 5-A Kansas State High School Basketball Championship. In that same year he had the privilege of coaching his son, Hank Harris, who is now a junior at Southeast Missouri State University of the Ohio Valley Conference. In each of the five years in which Harris was an assistant, Highland Park qualified for the Kansas State High School Championship. In addition to its championship in 2004, the Scott’s placed second in 2002-03, third in 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 and fifth place 2000-2001.
Harris resurrected the program at Labette Community College in Parsons, KS. Harris served as the head coach of the program which was dormant for over twenty years. In his third year at the helm, the Cardinals won an Independent Championship with a record of 26-7. In four seasons at Labette, Harris’ overall record was 69-42.
A native of East St. Louis, IL, Harris has reached the NCAA basketball tournament as an assistant with Kansas St. University (1981-1984) and Western Kentucky University (1986-1988). He also spent time as an assistant at Eastern Illinois University (1984-1986).
Harris comes from a family with a strong background in basketball. His father, Coach Earl “Tree” Harris (East St. Louis, Lincoln H.S.) and brother Dean Harris (Kansas St. University) are members of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Harris earned an Associate Degree in business from Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, KS; a Bachelor Degree in speech communication from Tennessee State University; and a Master’s Degree in education administration from Kansas State.
Harris is the proud parent of three children, Hank Harris (20), Wendell Harris (19) and Tatum Jade (8).
