By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – Chad Dollar, a 19-year Division I men’s basketball coaching veteran who most recently spent five seasons on the staff at Georgia Tech, has been hired as an assistant coach at Illinois State, head coach Dan Muller announced Thursday.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add Chad and his family to our program,” Muller said. “He provides experience, integrity, energy and passion for the game. Chad has worked for some of the best coaches in the country and will help our program in many ways on and off the court.”
PODCAST: Listen to WJBC’s interview with Dollar.
PODCAST: Listen to WJBC’s interview with Muller.
An Atlanta, Georgia, native, Dollar played an instrumental role in Georgia Tech’s recruiting efforts and in on-court development of perimeter players throughout the past five years. After spending three seasons as an assistant coach for the Yellow Jackets, Dollar was elevated to the team’s associate head coach for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Dollar arrived at Georgia Tech after spending the 2010-11 campaign as an assistant at Wichita State where he helped the Shockers win the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship. WSU went 29-8 overall and finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference that season.
“I’m thankful and excited to have the opportunity to return to The Valley and work at Illinois State with Dan Muller and his awesome staff,” Dollar said. “I’m looking forward to jumping right in and helping this program build upon its success.”
Before his stint with Wichita State, Dollar served for three seasons on John Brady’s staff, two at Arkansas State as the associate head coach (2008-10) and one at LSU as an assistant (2007-08). Prior to joining the Tigers, Dollar was an assistant during the 2006-07 campaign at Murray State, and he spent four seasons (2002-06) as an assistant at Georgia Southern. He also served for two seasons on the staff at Eastern Kentucky (2000-02) after working as an assistant for two seasons at Western Carolina (1998-2000).
Dollar began his coaching career at Gardner-Webb as a graduate and volunteer assistant for two years, and he spent a year as a graduate assistant at Southern Mississippi. Dollar also worked for two summers as an assistant coach with Athletes in Action.
A 1995 graduate of Milligan College, Dollar played his first three seasons of college basketball at USF. Dollar played on NCAA Tournament and NIT teams with the Bulls before transferring to Milligan for his final season. He helped lead the Buffaloes to an NAIA Division II national tournament in 1995. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Milligan.
Dollar played his high school basketball in Atlanta at Douglass High School for his father, Don Dollar, one of the all-time winningest high school coaches in the state’s history. While in high school, Dollar was an all-city selection in 1989. A second-team all-state performer in 1990, Dollar was one of seven players to sign with a Division I school after his junior season.
Dollar and his wife Kyla have three children: Aliyah, Darian and Chloe.
