Dr. Tim Rice, a longtime coach and administrator at the collegiate, high school, and international levels has been named as an assistant coach for the Ireland men’s Under 20 National Basketball Team.
Rice holds two degrees from the United States Sports Academy and is a member of the institution’s national faculty, credentialed to teach its sports education programs at home and its post-secondary, non-degree programs abroad. Rice earned his Master of Sports Science degree in Sports Management in 1999 and completed his Doctor of Education degree in Sports Management in 2005. He has served as a member of the Academy’s national faculty since 2008.
“The Academy has been a huge part of my life for a long time, and it has made a huge impact on my life as well,” Rice said. “I would not be able to do anything that I do now without the Academy. The Academy really taught me how much of an impact you can make on the lives of people through sport. Because of the Academy and because of sports, I’ve been able to travel to eight or nine countries. I love being able to use sport as a form of outreach to help others better their lives.”
Rice’s relationship with the Academy started at an early age. A native of Robertsdale, Ala., Rice grew up just a few miles from the institution’s campus in Daphne, Ala.
“When I was a kid I took part in one of the Academy’s art competitions,” Rice said. “I’ve known about and respected the Academy for a long, long time.”
He’s also had a long relationship with the nation of Ireland. In 2015, Rice became involved with Basketball Ireland as a consultant, then he spent a year there working and coaching basketball at an all-boys schools in the city of Galway. Now, he’ll work as an assistant coach for the nation’s men’s Under 20 team.
“I’ll mostly be involved in preparation of strategy and studying our opponents,” Rice said. “I’ll be a bench coach and have some oversight of some of the day-to-day stuff for the program. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to coach this team. I love Ireland because it is an amazing place with amazing people.”
Rice has been in higher education for nearly 20 years at colleges across the country. He has served in coaching and administrative roles at the NCAA Division I and III levels, NAIA and NCCAA levels, at the high school level and international level during his career. He has served as a head collegiate coach in basketball, cross country, golf, and soccer during this time, as well as serving in the roles of Sports Information Director and Athletic Director. He currently serves on the Elite Performance Committee for Basketball Ireland, the FIBA governing body of the sport in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and has consulted with other sport organizations in the Republic of Ireland.
Many of Rice’s former student-athletes have gone on to become sport coaches and administrators. In addition, he served in the business world as a professional fundraiser with the American Heart Association. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from the University of Mobile.
