Former MSU assistant Hatfield passes away
MBB: Jim Hatfield spent five seasons working under Tevester Anderson
Jim Hatfield, who spent five seasons working as an assistant coach at Murray State for Tevester Anderson from 1998-2003, passed away on Wednesday after a brief illness. Hatfield was 81.
The native of Maryville, Tennessee was twice an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky for Joe B. Hall, from 1972-74 and 1983-85.
In between those stints in Lexington, Hatfield ran his own programs. From 1975-78, he got his first head coaching job at Southwestern Louisiana — now known as Louisiana. Hatfield led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 47-35 record in three seasons, including the 1977 Southland Conference championship.
In the spring of 1978, when Ron Greene left Mississippi State to take over the Murray State program, Hatfield replaced Greene in Starkville. In three years with the Bulldog program, Hatfield had a record of 40-42 before resigning after the 1981 season. He then moved on to be the head coach at Hardin-Simmons for two years, which at the time was still Division I and playing in the Trans America Athletic Conference.
After leaving the University of Kentucky for the second time in 1985, Hatfield spent time as a travel agent, before becoming the head coach and Director of Athletics at the University of the Virgin Islands, as UVI was hoping to transition into the NCAA. Ultimately, that never happened, and Hatfield’s contract was not renewed in the spring of 1997.
One year later, Murray State introduced Tevester Anderson as their new head coach, and Coach T hired Hatfield join his staff.
“I’m as excited about this job as I’ve ever been about any job,” Hatfield told the Lexington Herald-Leader on September 20, 1998.
Hatfield was part of a pair of Ohio Valley Conference championship teams in 1999 and 2000, and helped lead the Racers to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2002.
Former Murray State guard Chris Shumate, who is now an assistant coach at UAB, remembered Hatfield on Thursday on X.
Funeral arrangements for Hatfield can be found here.