ANDERSON, S.C. - Anderson University head men's basketball coach Jason Taylor has announced that Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Ryan Hilburn has been named Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach for the Trojans, while former Lenoir-Rhyne standout RJ McClure has been named Assistant Coach and graduate student Jerome Coney has also been named to the staff.

"I am happy to be able to better show Ryan's role in our program with the title of Associate Head Coach," said Taylor. "In the four seasons he's been with our program, we have averaged 22 wins a year. That includes three NCAA Tournament appearances. We are blessed to have Ryan here. He's a great recruiter and an excellent role model for all our student-athletes."

Hilburn is entering his fifth season with the Trojans after joining the staff for the 2010-11 season. Over the last four seasons he has been a part of the Trojans' Elite Eight run and the Trojans' 2011-12 South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championship, which also saw the team reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

As an integral part of the coaching staff, Hilburn has helped guide Anderson to an 88-37 (.704) overall record since his arrival, with the Trojans making appearances in the NCAA Southeast Regional in three of the last four seasons.

The native of Charleston, S.C., directs the Trojans' recruiting efforts, as well as assisting with practice and game plans. He is in charge of the development of the post players, scouting opponents, and compiling scouting reports on opponents.

Hilburn served as an assistant coach at Lander for one season (2009-10) under head coach Jeff Burkhamer before arriving in Anderson. In 2008-09, the Charleston, S.C. native served as a graduate assistant at Armstrong Atlantic State University under Burkhamer, when the team posted a 23-7 record and finished the season ranked in the NABC's Top-25. Hilburn also served on the staff of Head Coach Barclay Radebaugh at Charleston Southern and for hall of fame basketball coach Dave Odom as an undergraduate at the University of South Carolina. During his tenure at USC, the Gamecocks made appearances in the SEC Championship game, the NCAA Tournament, and won back-to-back NIT Tournament Championships.

Hilburn earned his bachelor's degree in Sport Management from the University of South Carolina in 2006 and graduated from Northwood Academy in 2000. While at Northwood Academy, he helped lead the Chargers to the SCISA AA State Basketball Championship in 2000. He and his wife, Katie, reside in Anderson.

McClure, a former standout guard at Lenoir-Rhyne, led the Bears in scoring (17.7 ppg) and 3-point field goals (77) last season, while being selected to the 2013-14 All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team. The native of Canton, N.C., also set the single-game league record for points (52) and the single-game school record for three-pointers made (12) last January at Newberry. In his final home contest for L-R, McClure finished with a game-high 25 points and became the 51st player in school history to score 1,000 points.

McClure earned South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week honors on three occasions last season, helping lead the Bears to an overall 16-10 record and a 15-7 mark in league play, as L-R captured the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. The 5-foot-11 left-hander is familiar with the Abney Athletic Center hardwood, scoring 22 points in 26 minutes of action on the strength of six treys versus AU last January. Off the court, McClure was a member of the Dean's List.

"I am really excited about RJ joining the staff," added Taylor. "RJ was a great player at Lenoir-Rhyne and always competed with great passion and toughness. He brings the same level of drive and work ethic into his ambition of being a college basketball coach. In his first two months on the job, he has already made a positive impact in our program in many ways."

Jerome Fredrick Coney III has been a fixture with the program since arriving as a freshman after graduating from T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson in 2009. He lettered in football for the storied Yellow Jacket program after playing basketball in his native New Jersey for the North Plainfield Canucks. Coney was an honor student in both English and History in high school and majored in Business at AU, graduating Cum Laude in 2014. His dedication and love for the game of basketball was and is still evident by the amount of time he spends on the hardwood developing his skills. Born in North Plainfield, New Jersey, Coney considers Anderson, S.C., home and is the son of Sherry and Jerome Coney, Jr. He also has a sister, Lavenia.

"I feel very blessed to be able to have JC in our program for another two years as he works on his Masters' degree," Taylor said. "He has done impactful things for our program over the last four years that there is no way I can list them all. He's the best video guy in the business and has one of the most selfless work ethics I've ever seen. Our program has been, and fortunately will continue to be the beneficiary of Jerome's many daily selfless contributions."