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Assistant Wes Flanigan leaving Auburn basketball staff

Auburn-Live-SOCIAL-PROFILE (2)by:Auburn Live Staff•04/08/23
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Now-Ole Miss assistant Wes Flanigan (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — Former Auburn standout Wes Flanigan is leaving Bruce Pearl‘s staff, Auburn Live has learned.

Flanigan is leaving to take an assistant coaching job at Ole Miss, according to a knowledgable source.

Flanigan just finished his fifth season as an assistant coach on Pearl’s staff after returning to his alma mater prior to the 2018-19 season. While Flanigan was on staff, Auburn won the SEC Tournament, made a Final Four, finished second in the league the next season, won the SEC regular season championship two seasons later, and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Flanigan was 1-0 as interim head coach at Auburn, too. He coached the Tigers’ blowout win over Nebraska in Atlanta, Ga. in December of 2021 while Pearl served a self-imposed suspension.

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Flanigan coached son Allen at Auburn

Flanigan also coached his son, Allen, over the last four years at Auburn.

In Flanigan’s first year with the Tigers, Auburn went to new heights as a program after reaching the program’s first Final Four. The Tigers defeated Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina on the historic run, becoming the first team ever to defeat the three winningest programs in NCAA history in consecutive games in NCAA Tournament history.

Wes Flanigan played with the Tigers from 1993-97 and was a four-year starter at point guard. He is the 22nd-leading scorer in program history with 1,228 points.

Flanigan finished his career second in the Auburn record books with 573 assists. He is also fourth in career free throws with 338 makes from the charity stripe.

The Little Rock, Ark. native was the Southeastern Conference individual assist champion in 1996 when he dished out 214 dimes for an average of 6.7 per game.

Flanigan was named All-SEC as a junior in 1996 and was a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team in 1994.

Flanigan returned to The Plains after two stints with Little Rock, most recently as the head coach for the past two seasons.

While with the Trojans for seven seasons from 2004-08 and 2015-18, Flanigan helped Little Rock achieve new single-season program records for wins, Sun Belt Conference victories and road wins.

The Trojans won 18 or more games twice during Flanigan’s first run in Little Rock. In the 2007-08 season, the Trojans won 20 games while he served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

After his first stint at Little Rock, Flanigan was an assistant at UAB from 2008-10 where the Blazers won 47 games and matched a program record for wins a season with 25 set in the 2009-10 campaign.

Flanigan then went on to serve in the same capacity at Nebraska for two seasons (2010-12) before joining Mississippi State from 2012-15.

Wes Flanigan got his first start in coaching at Northwest Mississippi Community College where he was an assistant coach from 1999-2004.

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