Head Coach STACY HOLLOWELL
Stacy Hollowell enters his first season on the Lakefront after being named the 13th men’s basketball coach in school history last April. He replaced Mark Slessinger who spent 13 seasons as Privateers head coach and tallied the most wins in school history.
Hollowell comes to New Orleans after spending last season at Texas Southern as an assistant coach under Johnny Jones. During his one season Hollowell helped the Tigers to a 12-6 mark in the SWAC and a run to the SWAC tournament finals.
During the 2023-24 season Hollowell joined Kermit Davis’ staff at Ole Miss as the Associate Athletic Director for Men’s Basketball. During his time in Oxford, Hollowell oversaw day to day operations of the program with a focus on development and mentorship of student-athletes. He also helped the program achieve a top-12 recruiting class that season according to ESPN’s rankings.
It was at Loyola (New Orleans) where Hollowell wrote his name into Louisiana folk lore. Hollowell left Loyola (New Orleans) after the 2021-22 season as the second winningest coach in school history and a national champion. During his eight seasons in charge of the Wolfpack he compiled a record of 166-78 (.680) and 90-51 (.638) record in conference play. His final team uptown won the 2022 NAIA National Championship - the second in school history and the first since 1945. His national championship team set a Loyola record with 37 wins that season, and the record for winning percentage at .974. That squad also set school records for points in a game (143) and the largest winning margin in school history (78). In an odd twist of fate Hollowell beat UNO at Lakefront Arena in an exhibition game to start his run to the national title.
While at Loyola (New Orleans) Hollowell won 20+ games five times, won a pair of conference tournaments (2019, 2021) along with a regular season championship (2021). Prior to being named the head coach at Loyola he served as an assistant on the Wolfpack Coaching staff starting in 2009 where he was part of another 20-win campaign. He coached 19 All-Conference selections, and individual student athletes to Conference Player of the Year, Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Conference Newcomer of the Year and Conference Freshman of the Year status.
Hollowell was instrumental in the recruitment and development of two of Loyola New Orleans' best ever players - Zach Wrightsil and Myles Burns. Wrightsil was named both the 2021-2022 NAIA National Player of the Year, and Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Year following the national championship. He is the program's all-time scoring leader, and first all time in assists, and second all-time in rebounds and steals. He also owns both the most points and rebounds in a single season in school Wolfpack.
Burns was named a three-time Southern States Athletic Conference Defensive player of the year. He ranks No. 1 in Wolfpack history in career rebounds, and holds both the single season record, and single season number two mark for rebounding in program history. Burns also finished his career with the most steals in program history, and the second most points.
Both Wrightsil (Marquette) and Burns (Ole Miss) transferred to Div. I schools after the national championship - a testament to Hollowell's ability to develop talent. Burns spent last season playing in the NBA G-League for Raptors 905.
Hollowell's career also boasts extensive international experience - having coached aboard in over 30 countries. Before first joining the Loyola staff as an assistant coach in 2011, Hollowell gained international experience coaching professionally in Qatar, Lithuania, Bahrain, and China. As assistant coach for the Qatar National Team under former New Orleans men’s basketball coach Joey Stiebing, Hollowell helped the team qualify for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the only world championship appearance in Qatar’s history.
Hollowell was born in Shreveport, La. and raised in Mandeville, La. He was a four-year basketball player at Mandeville High School. He and his wife Nicole have three children, Emma, Jett and Jax, and stepson Aaron Traub.