DALLAS (SMU) -- SMU Basketball Assistant Coach Simon Cote has been hired as the Director of Young Player Development by the Opel Skyliners of Frankfurt, Germany.

The four-year assistant to Head Coach Mike Dement will resign effective April 30 to report to the Skyliners, who compete in the Euroleague, Europe's top basketball association, and reached the German Cup Finals in 2002.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity to learn and develop as a coach," said Cote. "I've had a great experience at SMU and developed strong relationships with our staff, players and many other members of the SMU community."

"We're certainly going to miss Coach Cote," said Dement. "He's been a big part of our success over the past four seasons and his absence will certainly leave a void on our staff. He has a great opportunity to become involved with basketball internationally in front of him, though, and we wish him nothing but the best."