Scott Thompson, who was an assistant under...

Scott Thompson, who was an assistant under Digger Phelps at Notre Dame and under Lute Olson at Iowa and Arizona, was named head basketball coach at Rice University. Thompson, 32, replaces Tommy Suitts, who was forced to resign Jan. 30, midway through his sixth season.

Thompson, from Moline, Ill., spent the last seven seasons as an assistant at Arizona. He is taking over a team that finished 8-19 overall and 2-14 in the Southwest Conference. Rice has not had a winning basketball season in 17 years.