The University of Minnesota on Friday officially announced the hiring of assistant Dan McHale, completing men's basketball coach Richard Pitino's Gophers staff.

The former Seton Hall assistant coach joins Kimani Young and Ben Johnson as a Gophers assistant, and rounds out a staff that includes Steve Goodson (director of basketball operations), Shaun Brown (strength and conditioning coach) and Josh Adel (assistant director of basketball operations).

"I am excited to join coach Richard Pitino and the rest of the staff here at Minnesota," McHale said in a news release. "He is one of the best coaches in the business and I am thrilled to be a part of this great staff."

McHale, who graduated from Kentucky in 2001, has six years of assistant coaching experience, working at Iona for three seasons and Seton Hall for three. The Chatham, N.J., native also worked as the video coordinator and a staff assistant at Louisville under Pitino's father, Rick.

"I have known Dan for a long time and know that he will be a great addition to our staff," Pitino said in the same University of Minnesota release. "He fits what we already have in place here with Kimani and Ben, which is a love and passion for the game of basketball."

AMELIA RAYNO