EVANSVILLE -- Evansville native Walter McCarty, who attained basketball fame at Kentucky and the Boston Celtics, has been named the head coach at the University of Evansville, replacing Marty Simmons.
The 6-foot-10 McCarty, who starred for the 1996 NCAA champion Wildcats and was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by Phoenix, spent most of his 10-year professional career in Boston.
He retired as a player in 2006 and began his coaching career at Louisville, reuniting with his old Celtics coach, Rick Pitino, for three seasons.
McCarty then served on the Indiana Pacers staff for one year before joining the Celtics as an assistant.