CHICAGO (April 12, 2024) – UIC head men's basketball coach Rob Ehsan has selected Kevin Devitt to serve as the Flames' associate head coach and Johnny Hill to be an assistant coach for UIC, it was announced Friday. Devitt and Hill are the first members of Ehsan's staff for the 2024-25 season, with further staff members to be named in the coming days.
 
"Kevin is one of the true rising stars in the coaching profession and is coming off a terrific run as the associate head coach at Niagara," Ehsan said. "He has a wide range of experience and success in recruiting, player development and game strategy, all skills I was able to see first-hand on our staff at UAB. Kevin also has deep ties to Chicago at the high school, AAU and college levels, all of which will be incredibly valuable as we build a championship program here at UIC.
 
"Johnny is another Chicagoland native who has played a key role in building NCAA Tournament teams as a player at Purdue and then as an assistant coach at Montana State and Utah State," Ehsan added. "He knows what it takes to be successful at the highest levels of our sport, whether that be in recruiting, scouting or developing our young men on and off the court. We couldn't be more excited to welcome both Kevin and Johnny to our Flames Family!"
 
Devitt comes to UIC following four seasons as assistant and associate head coach at Niagara University, where he coordinated the Purple Eagles' efforts in recruiting, player development, scouting and advising. He twice participated in the Top Connect symposium presented by Teamworks and INFLCR that identifies the nation's top assistant coaches, and he was named to the 2022 Silver Waves Media Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches list.
 
During his four-year tenure at Niagara, Devitt helped the Purple Eagles finish in the top half of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) each season and a pair of trips to the MAAC Tournament semifinals. He also played an integral part in the development of several of Niagara's recent All-MAAC selections, including three-time all-conference honoree Marcus Hammond and 2023 unanimous first-team All-MAAC choice Noah Thomasson.
 
Devitt also spent a combined seven seasons (2012-15; 2016-20) on the staff at UAB, culminating with a successful four-year run on Ehsan's staff with the Blazers as they won 76 games, posted a pair of 20-win campaigns (with a third stopped only the COVID-19 pandemic) and advanced to the 2019 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). While in Birmingham, Devitt was instrumental in UAB attracting two nationally-recognized mid-major recruiting classes and helped tutor numerous all-conference selections, including William Lee, Chris Cokley and Jalen Benjamin.
 
During the 2015-16 season, Devitt was an assistant coach at Wright State, where he helped the Raiders win 22 games and advance to the Horizon League Tournament championship game.
 
Prior to his first stint at UAB, Devitt served three seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Roosevelt University in Chicago, helping revive a program that had been dormant for two decades and leading the Lakers to a 13-game win total improvement during his time.
 
Before Roosevelt, Devitt spent three years in the Illinois high school ranks, coaching two seasons at Richards High School in Oak Lawn and one season at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in the Chicago Public League.
 
Devitt aided Chicagoland players in promoting their skills to prospective colleges, organizing and maintaining the South Suburban Fall Showcase League from 2008-10. He also founded the Chicago High School Classic, a high school all-star game that recognized the top 30 graduating seniors in the state of Illinois. Devitt's Chicago High School Classic featured future NBA players Robert Covington and Brandon Paul.

A native of Barrington, Illinois, and a graduate of Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, Devitt earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from DePaul University in 2010. He will be joined in Chicago by his wife, Alex, and son, Macintyre.
 
Hill arrives in the Windy City after spending the 2023-24 season as assistant coach/director of player development at Utah State University. While there, Hill helped the Aggies to a 28-7 record, the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, all despite being one of only three teams in the nation to return zero points (and virtually no rebounds or assists) to its '23-24 roster.
 
A member of the 2024 Silver Waves Media Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches list, Hill contributed to the development of several USU national and conference award winners this past season, including honorable mention All-American and MWC Player/Newcomer of the Year Great Osobor, MWC Sixth Man of the Year Josh Uduje and first-team all-MWC honoree Darius Brown II.
 
Hill spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at Montana State University, helping guide the Bobcats to a 25-10 record, the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Three MSU players also earned all-conference accolades under Hill's tutelage, including first-team All-Big Sky selection and 2023 Big Sky Tournament MVP RaeQuan Battle.
 
Prior to his successes at USU and MSU, Hill served three years (2017-20) on the staff at Grand Canyon University, during which time the Lopes posted 55 wins, twice advanced to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game and earned two postseason appearances in the CBI. He began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Northwestern Ohio, while also acting as head coach of the school's junior varsity team.
 
Hill began his playing career with two seasons (2011-13) at Illinois State, earning a place on the Missouri Valley Conference Most Improved Team in 2013. He then spent two seasons as a starter and team captain at UT Arlington before completing his career at Purdue in 2015-16. During that final year in West Lafayette, Indiana, Hill started 11 times for a nationally-ranked Boilermakers' squad that won 26 games, tied for third in the Big Ten Conference, reached the Big Ten Tournament title game and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Originally from Glendale Heights, Illinois, and a graduate of Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Illinois, Hill earned his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies/communications from UT Arlington in 2015. He went on to receive his master's degree in leadership and technology innovation from Purdue in 2016.
 
Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC student-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective. In addition, season ticket deposits for the 2024-25 Flames' men's basketball campaign are currently being accepted online through Ticketmaster or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312.413.8421; athleticsticketing@uic.edu).
 
For more information on UIC men's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_mbb and @uicflames).