LOS ANGELES -- Rex Hughes, who coached collegiately at Kent State, Southern California and UNLV in addition to the NBA, has died. He was 77.
USC said Tuesday that Hughes died of cancer a day earlier in Nipomo, a town along the central coast of California.
He was an assistant at USC from 1973-74 under Bob Boyd and then became head coach at Kent State from 1975-78, followed by two years as an assistant at UNLV.
Hughes was an assistant with the Sacramento Kings from 1991-92 and served as interim head coach for 57 games in the 1992 season. He became an assistant with San Antonio in 1993 and served as interim head coach for one game. He was an assistant with Vancouver from 1996-97. During his career, he also worked in scouting and basketball operations with the Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic.
He was coach and general manager of the Western Basketball Association's Montana minor league franchise in 1979.
Hughes began his coaching career at North Torrance (California) High in 1963. He was head coach at Long Beach City College in 1969 and then spent three seasons at Nebraska.
He attended Baylor before transferring to Pepperdine, where he was the Waves' basketball captain in 1961.
Hughes is survived by his wife, Patti; sons Jeff and Rich; brother Lindsey; sister Donna; and three grandchildren.
No services were planned.