Paul Mills promotes from within to find new Wichita State basketball director of ops

Wichita State men’s basketball coach Paul Mills has promoted from within to fill the program’s recently vacated role of director of operations.

Nolan Magee, who has spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant on Mills’ staff, was announced Wednesday as the new director of operations, replacing Toby Lane, who recently departed for a position that has not yet been announced yet.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for me,” Magee told The Eagle. “Obviously coach Mills has been pretty successful everywhere he’s been, so I’m very excited and grateful for this opportunity to work under him. It will be a great learning experience for me and I can’t wait.”

Lane, a WSU graduate and veteran in the college basketball world, is the only departure from Mills’ staff that finished last season with him in Wichita.

Iain Laymon, who was previously director of player development, and Xavier Holland, who was previously a special assistant, were both promoted to assistant coaches this summer, although neither can recruit off campus. Those duties are still reserved for Mills and assistants Kenton Paulino, the associate head coach, T.J. Cleveland and Quincy Acy.

Magee, 25, jumped at the opportunity to rise from graduate assistant to a full-time position on Mills’ staff after working for him at Oral Roberts and WSU the past two seasons. A DOBO (director of basketball operations) will have a hand in nonconference scheduling, camps, practice times, itineraries and coordinating academic help for the team.

“He’s a very detailed worker, that’s a big thing I respect about him,” Magee said. “The way he goes about his daily work and just how detailed he is and how he has everything planned out. And then he also provides opportunities for you to grow and become better in the basketball world. So I’m just very appreciative of this opportunity.”

Magee, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, was a student manager for the Iowa State men’s basketball team from 2018-22. After graduating, he knew he wanted to stay in the basketball world but wasn’t sure where.

Thanks to non-profit organization Grow the Game, which helps connect student managers to programs looking for help, Magee was given the contact information to Laymon, who was then the player development coach at ORU under Mills.

One week later, Magee was brought on as a graduate assistant. A little more than two years later, he has a master’s degree and is now working full time on the staff.

“That’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Magee said.