BEAUMONT, Texas -- Lamar athletic director Billy Tubbs, who turned Oklahoma into a national basketball power in the 1980s, then helped improve TCU, is returning to the basketball court.

Lamar president James Simmons announced Thursday that Tubbs would be taking over as the school's basketball coach in addition to his duties as athletic director.

Mike Deane, 52-62, who spent four years as the school's head coach, will be reassigned, Simmons said.

Tubbs coached Lamar for four of his 28 seasons, going 75-46 from 1976-80 and leading the Southland Conference school to the round of 16 in the 1980 NCAA Tournament. That helped him land a job at Oklahoma, where he spent 14 seasons, reaching the NCAA finals in 1988.

Tubbs later spent eight seasons at TCU, turning a moribund program into a squad that consistently played above .500.

After achieving a career record of 595-297, Tubbs insisted he was done coaching.

Tubbs spent nearly 20 years at Lamar as a player, assistant coach, head coach and faculty member. His two children were born while he was in Beaumont and one of his sons, Tommy, was an assistant coach and staff member at the school.