Arkansas names Altman hoops coach

Apr 3, 2007, 0:00 GMT

Fayetteville, AR - The University of Arkansas announced Monday that Dana Altman has been named head men's basketball coach.

Altman led Creighton to a 260-141 record, seven NCAA Tournament appearances and three NIT appearances during his 13 seasons with the Bluejays. His team finished 22-11 this past season and won the Missouri Valley Conference title with a 67-61 win over No. 11 Southern Illinois before falling to No. 15 Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 77-71.

Stan Heath was fired at Arkansas just last week after leading the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons. He spent five years in Fayetteville and guided the school to a record of 82-71.

Despite the winning record, Heath's teams were just 31-49 in the rugged Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks were in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament this year, but a run to the SEC Tournament title game helped them gain an at-large bid. They were rewarded with a 12th seed in the NCAA tourney and dropped a 77-60 decision to Southern California in the first round to complete a 21-14 season.

The Razorbacks also suffered a first-round loss in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, an appearance that ended a four-year NCAA drought.

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