On February 12, Aaron Fearne was officially appointed as the 14th head coach of Charlotte Men's Basketball.
After being named Interim Head Coach on June 15, 2023, Fearne was elevated to permanent head coach by Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill.
"From the moment he took over the basketball program last summer, Aaron Fearne has demonstrated that he is the right man for this job," Hill said. "In our first year in the AAC, he has our team competing for a league championship and has completely re-energized our fan base. The players believe in him and so do we. This is a great day for Niner Nation."
UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber said: "Coach Fearne has done phenomenal work since assuming the role of interim head coach. In just a few months, Coach Fearne, his staff and players have won the hearts of students, alumni and Niner fans everywhere. We look forward to a bright future under his leadership."
In his time as interim head coach, Fearne led the 49ers to their first-ever eight-game conference winning streak in program history and the first win over a ranked opponent at home since 2010 and the first overall since 2013.
"It is an unbelievable honor to lead Charlotte Basketball, I am thankful to the players and staff for believing in me last summer and wanting me as their head coach and I am humbled that Mike, Chancellor Gaber, and the board of trustees believe in me as well," said Fearne. "I am beyond grateful to my family, the students, the fans, and the community that has rallied behind us over the past nine months. This all would not be possible without their support. I am looking forward to facing the challenges and successes that lie ahead together."
A successful head coach at the professional level, Fearne had been an assist with the 49ers for the past five years and was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2022-23 season. He has been instrumental in attracting three of Conference USA's top-ranked recruiting classes.
Prior to his arrival in Charlotte, Fearne spent nine seasons as head coach and eight seasons as an assistant coach of the National Basketball League's Cairns Taipans, which plays in Australia's top professional league. As head coach, he led the team to the NBL finals twice and was named Coach of the Year in 2015. In 2018, he served as head coach of New Zealand's U-19 National Team.
Charlotte finished the 2022-23 campaign by winning the CBI Championship, the program's first ever postseason tournament title, and won 22 games, the most since the 2000-01 season.
