West grad promoted to assistant coach at Miami

Jimmy Lallathin has been administrative assistant, director of operations.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 11:50 PM Sunday, July 4, 2010

OXFORD — For decades the close circle of coaches and administrators within Miami University’s athletic department has been known as “The Miami Family.” It isn’t just a slogan to Jimmy Lallathin.

The former player and coach from Lakota West High School was promoted on Thursday, July 1, becoming an assistant coach on Charlie Coles’ men’s basketball staff.

“It’s an opportunity to do what you love at a place that you love,” Lallathin said.

Lallathin feels at home on the Oxford campus, and it isn’t just because he has worked with the basketball program for the past three years, first as administrative assistant and then as director of operations.

“I graduated here in ‘03 and to begin this journey as an assistant coach, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said. “My mom and dad graduated from here, my wife, my two brothers, I have two cousins who go here now and I have four who graduated.

“We’ve had four Miami mergers (marriages between Miami graduates),” Lallathin added. “Miami Red and White runs deep in my family.”

He also has strong ties, naturally, to Lakota West. The native of West Chester was a three-year varsity starter under coach Mike Mueller and was named All-Greater Miami Conference as a junior and senior.

Lallathin lettered for two seasons at Marietta College, transferred to Miami in 1999 and after graduating got his first taste of coaching, spending four years as associate head coach at Lakota West. During those four seasons the Firebirds, still under the direction of Mueller, went 72-23.

“Coach Mueller gave me a lot of opportunities and it made me hungry to do more and to learn,” Lallathin said.

Those are qualities that impress Coles.

“Over his first year here, I don’t know what he got paid, but it wasn’t much,” Coles said, “but he worked as hard as if he were getting paid a lot, and that impressed me.

“He knows our players, he knows our school and he wants to be here for the right reasons.” Coles continued. “Not just to advance his career, but also to understand what Miami University is all about and what we’re trying to do with our students. Jimmy understands that all the way.”

Lallathin, who has overseen film exchange, film edits, study tables and handled team travel arrangements, said he will continue in many of the day-to-day operations of the team. The other members of Coles’ staff are associate head coach Jermaine Henderson and assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

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