Shaheen Holloway hired by Seton Hall after leading Saint Peter's on historic NCAA Cinderella run

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Shaheen Holloway was announced as the men's basketball coach of Seton Hall Wednesday just days after he led Saint Peter's on a historic Elite Eight run during the 2022 NCAA Tournament, according to the school. 

Holloway was a player for Seton Hall when the Pirates made it to the Sweet 16 during the 2000 NCAA Tournament and had been linked to the job ever since Kevin Willard left the program for Maryland. Holloway, who was also an associate head coach for eight seasons under Willard at Seton Hall, said after his recent hiring that, "Life has a way of coming full circle."

"This is certainly a full circle moment for my family and I. Seton Hall is near and dear to my heart; it's where I became a man, where I met the love of my life, where I spent countless hours honing my crafts as a basketball player and a basketball coach," Holloway said. "To say that I'm excited to get started as the head men's basketball coach at Seton Hall University would be an understatement."

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Saint Peter's Peacocks head coach Shaheen Holloway on the sidelines during the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Championship Round 2 game between the Murray State Racers and Saint Peters Peacocks on March 19, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.  (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Holloway was thrust into the national spotlight when he guided Saint Peter's on its magical run. The Peacocks knocked off two Power 5 schools in Kentucky and Purdue and a solid Murray State team to make a deep run in the tournament. They were the first No. 15 seed to ever make the Elite Eight.

"I am incredibly excited to welcome Shaheen Holloway and his family home to Seton Hall," athletic director Bryan Felt said. "Shaheen is a winner in every sense of the word, and he is not only an incredible coach, but also an incredible educator of young men. He works tirelessly to put his student-athletes in a position to succeed, and he makes them believe that they can achieve anything with hard work and determination. That is evidenced by his historic NCAA Tournament run this month."

Willard gave Holloway his seal of approval after Seton Hall’s first-round exit from the tournament earlier this month. Saint Peter’s lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight to end their Cinderella run.

St. Peter's Peacocks players celebrate with head coach Shaheen Holloway after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 in the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 25, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

SHAHEEN HOLLOWAY WRAPS UP SAINT PETER'S HISTORIC NCAA CINDERELLA RUN: ‘THEY SHOCKED THE WORLD’

"If I’m not here next year, I’d love if Shaheen Holloway is here. That would be the happiest thing that ever happened to me," Willard said.

As a player, Holloway currently holds the all-time program record for career assists at Seton Hall, with 681. During the Pirates' run to the Sweet 16 in 2000, Holloway scored the game-winning layup in overtime to defeat Oregon in the NCAA first round. In 2012, he was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame.

Head coach Shaheen Holloway of the St. Peter's Peacocks  after beating the Purdue Boilermakers during the Sweet 16 round of the 2022 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament held at Wells Fargo Center on March 25, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Holloway was the 2020 MAAC Coach of the Year with Saint Peter's, and he led the Peacocks to the 2022 MAAC Tournament title, as well as three straight seasons with 10-plus victories in conference play. 

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Holloway guided Saint Peter’s to their first tournament win in the program’s history. He was 64-54 as the Peacocks’ head coach.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report