Mark Hughes, a senior co-captain on the Michigan squad that Steve Fisher guided to the 1989 national championship, enters his second season as an assistant coach at San Diego State.
Hughes, 38, has served as an assistant coach for the NBA[apos]s Orlando Magic the last two seasons and was a head coach for the CBA[apos]s Grand Rapids Hoops from 1997-2002.
[quote]Mark brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and a coach, that will be a great addition to our family,[quote] Fisher said. [quote]My familiarity with Mark goes back to the days when I recruited him in high school. He adds character and talent that will be evident to all. He is a great addition not only for the basketball program, but the entire San Diego State University community.[quote]
Hughes finished his Michigan career with 619 points, 485 rebounds, 177 assists in 105 career games from 1985-89. After graduating from Michigan in 1989 with a degree in sociology, he spent time in the NBA, CBA and Europe, playing basketball before focusing on his coaching career.
In 1990-91 he was a member of the Detroit Pistons. He then played professional basketball overseas, spending four seasons in Italy and France, before returning as captain of the Grand Rapids Hoops in 1995-96.
In his five seasons, first as a player-head coach and then head coach, Hughes won more than 150 games and was a four-time recipient of the CBA Coach of the Month award. He is the Hoops franchise[apos]s all-time winningest coach.
After his successful run as both a coach and a player, Hughes had his No. 44 jersey retired by Grand Rapids on Feb. 9, 2002.
In addition, he earned a selection from USA Basketball as the top assistant on the 1997 USA Basketball team that won the gold medal in the Tournament of Americas in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Hughes joined the Orlando Magic staff as an assistant coach on July 9, 2002. He served for two seasons with the Magic, working on Glenn [quote]Doc[quote] Rivers[apos] staff before joining the Aztecs.
[quote]I am extremely excited to be working with Coach Fisher again,[quote] Hughes said. [quote]I have known him for a lot of years and I feel privileged to get an opportunity to learn from him. I[apos]m coming in to work hard, help get quality student-athletes, develop them on and off the court and help Coach Fisher continue to build this program.[quote]
[quote]I[apos]ve had success in college and in coaching at the professional level and I am looking forward to having a positive impact on student-athletes.[quote]
In June 2004, Hughes was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Hughes and his wife Ronna have three children - Mark (11), Madelyn (9) and Jackson (6).