BATON ROUGE — A former LSU player and NBA first-round draft pick has joined the coaching staff of Baton Rouge Community College men's basketball team, the school announced Wednesday.

Former Chicago Bulls player Tyrus Thomas will join the Bears coaching staff as a player development coach responsible for coaching on-court skill development programs. He will also assess individual players' training progress, BRCC said. Thomas has most recently been coaching high school basketball for several years in the Baton Rouge area.

"Experienced, relatable, and focused are just a few words to describe Tyrus' work ethic," BRCC Head Basketball Coach Byron Starks said. "As we grow the BRCC brand, Tyrus is a great addition to the player development of our student-athletes. Playing at the highest level of basketball will give our guys insight from someone who's been there and done that. We're excited to have him join our Bear family."

Thomas, who played during the 2005-2006 season at LSU, joins a coaching staff that finished last season winning seven out of 10 games. The team earned the Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference conference championship and advancing to the Region XXIII Quarterfinals.