Talvin Hester enters his third season as an assistant coach for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

In his second season in 2019-20, the Bulldogs registered a 22-8 overall record during the regular slate, but the team did not have a chance at postseason play with the Conference USA and NCAA/NIT Tournaments being canceled due to the public health threat of COVID-19.

The 22 wins ended up being the most victories of any Conference USA team and of any Louisiana Division I team.  The Bulldogs also recorded a 13-5 league record, finishing in a tie for second place.
 
The 'Dogs, who had the highest NET ranking and highest KenPom ranking of any C-USA squad, had several marquee wins.  The biggest one in non-conference came against Mississippi State in Starkville as the 74-67 victory ended their SEC-leading 26-game non-conference winning streak.  The biggest one in league play came at North Texas, winning 73-71 to hand the C-USA regular season champions their only conference home loss. 

Hester helped coach point guard DaQuan Bracey who ended up being a First Team All-Conference USA selection. 

In his first year with the 'Dogs, Hester helped the team to 20 victories.  Eight of the 20 victories came against teams who also produced 20-win seasons, the most in program history.  One of those came in the season opener at Wichita State as the Bulldogs shocked the Shockers, handing them only their fourth loss in their last 76 games at home. 

Hester brought 16 years of coaching experience to LA Tech with the majority of that coming from the state of Texas where he worked for eight different programs at the college and professional level.

While at Oral Roberts for the 2017-18 season, Hester joined new head coach Paul Mills to help the Golden Eagles finish in a tie for fifth in the Summit League, improving two spots from the preseason poll.

ORU ending up having four players earn postseason honors, including a pair of specialty awards for each of the two seniors on the squad -- Austin Ruder was named the league's Transfer of the Year while Albert Owens was tabbed as the Sixth Man of the Year.

Prior to coaching the Golden Eagles, Hester joined new head Kelvin Sampson at Houston where he spent three seasons helping turnaround the Cougars program.

UH ended up having a nine-win improvement from the 2014-15 to the 2015-16 season, posting 22 victories for the first time in eight years, while finishing second in the American Athletic Conference and earning an NIT appearance which was their first postseason action since 2013.

The Cougars followed that up with a 21-win season in 2016-17, a third place finish in the AAC and another trip to the NIT. While at Houston, Hester coached four All-AAC selections including Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson who became the first duo in the program's history to be selected first team in the same season since 1990.

Hester also assisted in the Cougars' off-court work, serving Thanksgiving meals to Star of Hope Mission residents and leading a Texas Special Olympics event.

Hester spent one season apiece as an assistant coach at Texas State (2013-14) and Stephen F. Austin (2012-13). While with the Lumberjacks, the team posted a 27-5 overall record, claimed the Southland Conference regular season title and earned a berth into the NIT.

His first coaching experience outside the Lone Star State came at San Jose State from 2010-12. In his first year with the Spartans, they earned the first postseason bid for SJSU since 1996 (CBI) and a 17-16 record with the 17 wins being the most since the 1980-81 season.

Prior to heading to California, he spent five seasons at Prairie View A&M (2005-10) where he was eventually promoted to the position of associate head coach. He helped the Panthers to winning records in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 season, the first time registering back-to-back winning seasons in decades.

Hester broke into coaching in 2002 at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. He also spent one year at his alma mater Texas Wesleyan.

His coaching resume also includes a stop with the Texas Rim Rockers of the United States Basketball League as an assistant coaching intern and the Dallas Mustangs AAU team for one season. He was an assistant coach at Texas College in Tyler, Texas for the 2004-05 season before going to Prairie View A&M.

As a student-athlete, Hester competed at Dallas Christian College during the 1996-97 season. He received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas Wesleyan in 2003.

He is married to the former Jamieka Jackson and they are the parents of a daughter, Rhyan.
 

Years	School	Position
2002-03	North Lake College	Assistant Coach
2003	Texas Rim Rockers (USBL)	Assistant Coach Intern
2003-04	Texas Wesleyan	Assistant Coach
2004-05	Texas College	Assistant Coach
2005-10	Prairie View A&M	Assistant Coach
2010-12	San Jose State	Assistant Coach
2012-13	Stephen F. Austin	Assistant Coach
2013-14	Texas State	Assistant Coach
2014-17	Houston	Assistant Coach
2017-18	Oral Roberts	Assistant Coach
2018-pres.	Louisiana Tech	Assistant Coach