Tyson Wheeler's job search is over.

Wheeler, a former New London High School and University of Rhode Island great, is joining the UMass basketball program as an assistant coach on Matt McCall's staff.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports first reported on the news on his Twitter account.

While Wheeler could not be reached for comment, he updated his Twitter profile to include "UMass Assistant Coach." He also retweeted some congratulatory messages.

Wheeler, 43, spent the previous eight years as an assistant at Fairfield University where he started his college coaching career.

When Fairfield fired Sydney Johnson in March, Wheeler temporarily served as interim head coach until Jay Young was hired.

Wheeler interviewed for the Connecticut College head coaching vacancy and also showed interest in the opening for an assistant coach under David Cox at Rhode Island, his alma mater.

Now Wheeler, who lives in Norwich with his wife Farrah and their three children, will be part of a UMass basketball program that was Rhode Island's rival during his playing days.

During a conversation in March, Wheeler spoke about what he could bring to a program.

"I think I can recruit the whole country and overseas, so I don't limit myself to just New England, which I think is big," Wheeler said. "My name helps that. Any time I call somebody in California or Texas or Nebraska, they know who I am from my playing time and it just gets me in the door and gets the conversation going about Fairfield or whatever school that I'm at. I think that's huge in the recruiting process."

g.keefe@theday.com