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Patrick takes TCU coaching position

David Patrick is pictured with Barack Obama and Ben Simmons, a 6ft 10in freshman who will be going into the NBA draft this year, during the president’s visit to Louisiana State University earlier this month.

Bermudian David Patrick has been taken on as assistant head basketball coach at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Patrick will work under Jamie Dixon, the TCU head coach, following a successful tenure at Louisiana State University, where he helped the Tigers land the nation’s No 5 and No 3 ranked recruiting classes in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

Their most recent signing in 2015 included national prep award winner and No 1 recruit Ben Simmons, No 15 Antonio Blakeney and No 36 Brandon Sampson.

Simmons, born in Melbourne, Australia, was the consensus national Freshman of the Year this past season, a multiple All-American honouree and is expected to be the No 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Patrick, who was born in Bermuda and grew up in Melbourne, Austalia, played collegiate basketball for one season at Syracuse University where he was a member of the 1996 NCAA final four team that finished as the national runner-up. He then transferred to UL-Lafayette where he played for three seasons.

Following his collegiate career Patrick went back to Australia where he played for the Canberra Cannons of the National Basketball League from 1996 to 2001 and was named Rookie of the Year in 2000.

He then joined the Chester Jets of England’s British Basketball League where he earned second team all-league honours.

Patrick ended his professional career in the Spanish Professional League, playing for Castellion from 2003 to 2005.

Patrick arrived at Baton Rouge in 2012 after a stint as a personnel scout with the Houston Rockets. He also served for four years on the staff at St Mary’s and one year at Nicholls State.

In 2013 Patrick helped LSU land the nation’s No 5 ranked class when they signed McDonald’s All-american honourees Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey.

Martin was a first-round draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies last summer and Mickey taken in the second round by the Boston Celtics. Both earned all-conference accolades under Patrick’s watch.

During his four years at Baton Rouge, Patrick helped LSU rejuvenate their programme and average 20 wins a season, which culminated in a 2015 NCAA tournament appearance.

The Tigers recorded 80 wins during Patrick’s tenure while sending Johnny O’Bryant III, Martin and Mickey to the NBA.