A familiar face to Vanguard Athletics will be roaming the sidelines for the 2022-23 men's basketball season as Selle Hann returns to his alma mater as an assistant coach.
"I am so excited to come back to where it all started for me," said Hann. "I am grateful for the opportunity to return to a place I call home with a great leader and mentor in Coach Rhett Soliday."
This is Hann's third stint as an assistant with the Lions. He first coached at VU during the 2015-16 season, helping lead the team to a 19-11 record. He returned to the Blue and Gold from 2018-20. Hann played a significant role in helping the 2018-19 squad start the season 16-0. His impact facilitated a long stay in the top 10 of the national polls, including cracking the top five twice.
Hann's history with Vanguard dates back to his time as a student-athlete. A 6-4 combo guard/forward, Hann enjoyed a stellar four-year career from 2011-15, averaging 21 wins per season and contributing to the 2014 NAIA National Championship squad. He was a two-year starter, and his effort in a national quarterfinal win over defending champion Georgetown was crucial in VU advancing in the tournament. Hann posted 12 second-half points in the 93-85 win over Georgetown.
Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Hann will assume various roles with the program. He will be the team's defensive coordinator, as well as having heavy involvement in recruiting, scouting and player development, with primary focus on the forwards and bigs. He will also be in charge of VU's Development Team.
In between his stints with Vanguard, Hann has found success elsewhere. At Orangewood Academy in Garden Grove, he served as the head boys' basketball coach and developed Uriel Batista into league Most Valuable Player. In the summer of 2020, Hann joined Eastern Florida State College, one of the top national junior college programs in the country. Serving alongside head coach Jeremy Shulman, the Titans went 20-4, won the Southern Conference and placed seven of their sophomores at NCAA Division I programs that year.
His most recent stint took place at Life University in Murrieta, Ga., where he helped one of the NAIA's powerhouse programs as the top assistant to Coach Kevin Easley. His role in recruiting and developing top talent for Life preceded his return to Vanguard.
Prior to VU signing Hann out of Stoneridge Prep, his playing career also included being chosen to compete for the Senegal U18 National Team. He traveled to Oregon to play in the Nike Global Challenge in 2008.
