(Pocatello, ID) - Veteran basketball coach Bill Evans will be formally introduced by Idaho State University Athletic Director Jeff Tingey Thursday as the new head coach for the Bengals. Evans replaces Joe O'Brien who resigned in December after a 2-8 season start. Assistant coach Deane Martin has been serving as the interim head coach of Idaho State (9-21) which ended its season Saturday with a loss to Eastern Washington 81-75.

Evans had been an assistant coach with Wayne Tinkle's Grizzly basketball program for the past four years. Previously Evans was the head man at his alma mater, Southern Utah University for 15 seasons.

His 209 career victories at Southern Utah are the most in school history. He was named the coach of the year four times during his tenure there and guided the Thunderbirds to their first ever NCAA tournament berth in 2001, a 67-64 setback to ninth-ranked Boston College with a record of 25-6 that season. He coached 27 all-conference players during his tenure at SUU.

He earned his B.A. degree in physical education at Southern Utah in 1972. He received his master's degree in athletic administration from Idaho State in 1985.

Bill and his wife, Sunny, have five children: Quentin, Dave, Tori, Trajan, and Kansas.