Iowa State on landing Steve Prohm: 'We're thrilled'

AMES, Ia. – Sight unseen, Steve Prohm accepted an opportunity to replace Fred Hoiberg as the Iowa State men's basketball coach Monday.

Without once stepping foot on the campus, the 40-year old agreed to say farewell to Murray State, where he successfully coached the previous four seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference, and hello to Ames, where competition ramps up 20 or so places on the weekly RPI list.

"It says that it's a wonderful coaching opportunity," ISU president Steven Leath said told a handful of reporters. "We're thrilled he's got the passion and excitement for the job that he does. We're glad to have him on board."

Prohm (Rome with a P) agreed to a five-year contract that includes $1.5 million annual base pay. In the Big 12, that's ahead of only TCU's Trent Johnson, according to various reports. He earned $500,000 annually at Murray State, according to a contract re-worked two months ago.

Prohm will be introduced at a 10 a.m. press conference Tuesday at the Sukup Basketball Complex.

"We feel Steve and his family are a perfect fit for Iowa State University," athletics director Jamie Pollard said in a news release. "Steve's personal values, style of play and proven success as a head coach make him an outstanding choice to be our next coach."

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Prohm was 104-29 during his four head-coaching seasons, all at Murray State. This mark includes going 31-2 as a rookie head coach at the southwestern Kentucky school.

"He is a proven winner who is widely respected by his current and former players," Pollard said. "We feel Steve is the ideal coach to continue the incredible success that coach (Fred) Hoiberg and his players have achieved during the past several years."

Prohm was one of seven candidates Leath, Pollard and senior associate athletics director David Harris interviewed last weekend at the Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search. Another known interviewed candidate, Hoiberg assistant T.J. Otzelberger, could not be reached Monday for comment.

When asked if anyone else was offered the job, Leath said: "This is a personnel matter. But no, we got the guy we wanted."

Leath and Harris informed Iowa State players of the decision during a 25-minute meeting Monday afternoon at the campus' Lied Recreation Building.

"We're here to talk to the team and make sure they had a chance to hear from us," Harris said. "We had a chance to have a good conversation with them.

"Ultimately, the conversation was private. That will stay private."

Prohm was expected to arrive on campus Monday evening. Harris said the plan was for him to meet with his players before Tuesday's press conference.

His philosophy statistically mirrors what Iowa State fans have enjoyed under Hoiberg the past five seasons. Last season's 29-6 Murray State team that won 25 games in a row averaged in the high 70s while taking just shy of 20 3-point attempts. Offense took priority over defense.

His Racers were helped along the way by point guard Cameron Payne, a guy who many say is a mid-first-round NBA draft pick later this month.

A native of Vienna, Va., Prohm is a former student-manager and graduate assistant at Alabama. He was an assistant at Centenary, Southeastern Louisiana, Tulane and Murray State before moving up to the Racers' head coaching position in 2011.

His 2012 team made the NCAA Tournament. Last season's team, shunned by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, was an NIT quarterfinalist.

"I want to thank Coach Prohm for a tremendous four years and wish him the best at Iowa State," Murray State AD Allen Ward said in a release. "I have no doubt he'll be successful with the Cyclones. He's a class individual and represented Murray State proudly. I will always be grateful for his service."