SMU has hired Tyrone Maxey, the father of top-30 junior Tyrese Maxey, as its director of player development.
The story was first reported by SMU's Scout.com affiliate.
Tyrone Maxey has been a high school basketball coach in the Dallas area for more than a decade, including the past three years as an assistant coach at South Garland High School (Texas). Tyrese will be a junior at South Garland this season.
"I was kind of sad he was leaving my high school, but then I realized it wasn't about me," Tyrese told ESPN. "I was very excited he would finally fulfill his dream."
Tyrese Maxey told ESPN his father first mentioned the possibility to him last month.
Maxey, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, is ranked No. 27 in the ESPN 60 for 2019. Playing for RM5 Elite, he averaged 19.4 points and 4.2 assists at the Nike Peach Jam in early July. Michigan State, UCLA, Texas and Baylor were among the long list of schools to offer, with the Spartans making him a priority in the junior class.
SMU was recruiting Maxey heavily before hiring his father, including an in-home visit back in April. With his dad now on staff, the Mustangs could move up his list.
"I honestly don't know yet," he said. "This is so fresh. I haven't put much thought into it."
The NCAA enacted a rule in 2010 that restricts the hiring of individuals associated with a prospect (IAWP) to noncoaching positions.
NCAA Bylaw 11.4.2 states, "In men's basketball, during a two-year period before a prospective student-athlete's anticipated enrollment and a two-year period after the prospective student-athlete's actual enrollment, an institution shall not employ (either on a salaried or a volunteer basis) or enter into a contract for future employment with an individual associated with the prospect student-athlete in any athletic department noncoaching staff position or in a strength and conditioning staff position."
Tyrone Maxey's new role would fall under the noncoaching umbrella, but SMU should be exempt from any violations because Tyrese Maxey is still two years away from enrolling in college.
SMU is under the impression that Maxey would be able to sign with the Mustangs without an issue, sources told ESPN.
Schools hiring parents of high-level prospects has become a trend over the past couple of years, with new Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin hiring Michael Porter Sr. in March and subsequently gaining commitments from top-10 prospects Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter. Former Memphis head coach Josh Pastner -- now at Georgia Tech -- hired Keelon Lawson back in the summer of 2014 and ended up with Dedric Lawson and K.J. Lawson. When Tubby Smith replaced Pastner, he reassigned Keelon Lawson and his sons later transferred to Kansas after one season playing under Smith.