Former Hawkeye Matt Gatens to begin coaching career as Auburn graduate assistant

The Aubern men's basketball program's Iowa connections are expanding.

Former Hawkeye and Iowa Mr. Basketball Matt Gatens tweeted Friday that he will be a graduate assistant for the Tigers next season.

Excited to announce I'll be joining May 12, 2017

Excited to announce I'll be joining @AuburnMBB and @coachbrucepearl staff as a Graduate Assistant this season. War Eagle!

— Matt Gatens (@mattg8ens)

Bruce Pearl, an Iowa assistant from 1986-92, just completed his third season as Auburn head coach. The Tigers were 18-14 this past season.

Gatens, 27, led Iowa City High to a state championship in 2008 and was second team all-Big Ten as a senior at Iowa in 2012, helping lead a program turnaround under coach Fran McCaffery that included an NIT appearance that season.

He played pro basketball in Europe for four seasons, then signed with the NBA D-League's Iowa Energy prior to the 2016-17 season. He played in only two games with the Energy before tearing his ACL.

Gatens scored 1,636 points in his Iowa career, which ranks eighth in school history.