College Basketball: Joe Golding returns to Abilene when UTEP battles ACU on Dec. 17
Joe Golding, who led Abilene Christian to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a historic win over Texas in the first round in 2021, will return to Moody Coliseum when his UTEP Miners take on the Wildcats at 3 p.m. Dec. 17.
It will be Golding's first return to ACU since leaving for UTEP following the 2021 season. The game will reunite him with Brette Tanner, who was his assistant with the Wildcats for six seasons before taking over as head coach following Golding’s departure.
Golding, who played point guard for the Wildcats from 1994-98, returned to his alma mater to lead the program’s transition from Division II to Division I in 2011. ACU made the jump to Division I the 2013-14 season.
Golding was 156-144 in 10 seasons as the Wildcats’ coach, including 71-23 the last three seasons. ACU posted consecutive 20-win seasons in Golding’s final three years, including a school-record 27 wins the 2018-19 season.
ACU won the Southland Conference tournament in 2019 to earn its first NCAA Tournament berth. No. 2 Kentucky beat the Wildcats 79-44 in the first round.
After COVID-19 ended the season prematurely during the 2019-20 season, ACU came back to defend its conference title and return to the NCAA Tournament — stunning No. 3 Texas 53-52 in Indianapolis. No. 11 UCLA beat the Wildcats 67-47 in the second round.
Golding is 34-32 in two seasons at UTEP, including 14-18 last year.
More: College Basketball NCAA Tournament Golding accepts UTEP job after historic run with Abilene Christian men's basketball team
More: College Football College Football: Xavier Wishert leads Abilene Christian past Northern Colorado in opener
Tough schedule
Golding's return highlights a challenging schedule for ACU, which was 13-17 last season and 7-11 in the Western Athletic Conference.
ACU opens the season at Oklahoma State on Nov. 6, before going to North Carolina State on Nov. 10.
The Wildcats’ home opener will be against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 14, though the team plays an exhibition against Arlington Baptist on Oct 28 at Moody Coliseum.
ACU also plays in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands (Nov. 17-19), before starting conference play at Texas-Arlington on Nov. 29.
The Wildcats also play at Arkansas in a non-conference game Dec. 21.
Other key home games for ACU include conference rival Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 2) and defending WAC champion Grand Canyon (Feb. 24).
2023-24 ACU men's basketball schedule
Oct. 28 … Arlington Baptist (exhibition) … 2 p.m.
Nov. 6 … at Oklahoma State … TBA
Nov. 10 … at North Carolina State … TBA
Nov. 14 … Prairie View A&M … TBA
Nov. 17 … San Jose State# … 3:15 p.m.
Nov. 29 … at Texas-Arlington* … TBA
Dec. 2 … Stephen F. Austin* …. TBA
Dec. 6 … Northern Arizona … TBA
Dec. 10 … Howard Payne …. TBA
Dec. 17 … Texas-El Paso …. 3 p.m.
Dec. 21 … at Arkansas … TBA
Dec. 30 … at Western Kentucky … 2 p.m.
Jan. 6 … Texas-Rio Grande Valley* …. TBA
Jan. 11 … at Grand Canyon* …. TBA
Jan. 13 … at California Baptist* …. TBA
Jan. 18 … at Tarleton State* …. TBA
Jan. 20 … Texas-Arlington* …. TBA
Jan. 25 … Utah Tech* …. TBA
Jan. 27 … Southern Utah* …. TBA
Feb. 1 … Tarleton State* …. TBA
Feb. 8 … at Seattle* …. TBA
Feb. 10 … at Utah Valley* …. TBA
Feb. 15 … at Texas-Rio Grande Valley* …. TBA
Feb. 17 … at Stephen F. Austin* …. TBA
Feb. 22 … California Baptist* …. TBA
Feb. 24 … Grand Canyon* …. TBA
Feb. 29 … at Southern Utah* …. TBA
March 2 … at Utah Tech* …. TBA
March 7 … Seattle* …. TBA
March 9 … Utah Valley* …. TBA
#Paradise Jam, U.S. Virgin Islands; *Western Conference game
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Joe Golding returns when UTEP battles ACU in basketball Dec. 17
