by Russell Vannozzi | Mar 9, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb women’s basketball coach Greg Brown will not return next season, the school’s athletic department announced Friday afternoon. The news follows a disappointing season in which the Lady Bisons went 4-25 and lost 19 games in a row from mid-November to early February. The team missed the ASUN tournament for the first time since 2013. “I appreciate the effort, care for our student athletes, conscientiousness and work on behalf of our school that Greg, [and assistants] Hannah [Phillips], Aaron [Holland], Clay [Crothers] and Kelsey [Gregory] have given this year and during the rest of their time with us,” Lipscomb athletic director Philip Hutcheson said in a release. Brown compiled a 44-161 overall record in his seven seasons at Lipscomb. His best campaign came in 2017-18, when Lipscomb went 12-19 and beat USC Upstate in the ASUN Quarterfinals. Senior Loren Cagle led that team with 17.2 points and won ASUN Player of the Year honors. Brown is a 1993 Lipscomb graduate and began his coaching career as a student assistant under legendary Lipscomb men’s basketball coach Don Meyer. He eventually worked as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach under Pat Summit at Tennessee in the early 2000s. In 2012, Lipscomb hired him away from Central Florida, where he was the associate head coach. “Greg is as good [of] a person, husband, father, co-worker and friend as you are likely to find,” Hutcheson said. “All of his assistants are all quality and talented people too, and I appreciate everything about them as well.” Hutcheson will immediately begin the search for a new coach. Phillips will continue to work with the...
by Logan Butts | Jul 22, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
In the past few months, there was a craze among media outlets and just people in general to make a “Mount Rushmore” of everything, whether sport, entertainment, profession or just about anything else you could think of. The premise is fairly simple; you just have to come up with the four most prominent figures of the group of your choosing for a so-called Mount Rushmore of (fill in the blank). Lumination even took a stab at it with a Mount Rushmore of Lipscomb Professors. Inspired by all the discussions of ranking current and historical notable figures, something I love to do, I decided to make a Mount Rushmore of Lipscomb Sports Figures. There are a few rules I came up with to help narrow down the field of nominees: 1. No current athletes can make the final list of four people. Despite the great success of our current athletes, it would not be fair to include a player whose Lipscomb career is ongoing. 2. Current coaches are eligible for the list, but only if they have coached for five or more seasons. 3. Only one coach or athlete from a single sport is allowed on the final list of four. Otherwise, you could have a single sport taking up half of the spots. Now, on to the list. The first spot should be obvious. Don Meyer: Basketball coach, 1975-1999 The late, great Coach Don Meyer was not only one of the pillars of college sports at Lipscomb, but he was also integral to the college basketball community throughout the country. Meyer’s team went 11-19 during his first season with...
by Travis Byrd | May 2, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Atlantic Sun conference has taken the college basketball world by storm over the last couple of years. In 2013, A-Sun member Florida Gulf Coast went on a magical run to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament, and in March, the Mercer Bears upset heavily favored Duke in the first round of the tourney. To Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson, the success of fellow A-Sun teams provides a good reputation to the other members of the conference. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” Hutcheson said. “When teams from this conference win, it makes everybody look good.” The good news for Lipscomb fans is that the Bisons have been very competitive with the conference’s top teams. “This year, we were right there,” Hutcheson said. “We split with FGCU and swept or split with most of the teams in the conference. We aren’t far from the top.” One of the problems that face teams from the A-Sun is that it is considered a non-power conference. The A-Sun is not in the same conversation as the ACC, SEC or Big Ten, but Hutcheson said he believes that with the recent success, the conference will not go unnoticed for long. “The thing about our conference is that only the conference tournament champion gets in the NCAA tournament,” Hutcheson said. “If teams from this conference continue to get in the tournament and advance, that could open the door for other teams that have good years in this conference to get an at-large bid.” This past season in men’s basketball was the first for Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander. He led the Bisons to a fifth...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 20, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Just because someone is king of his craft doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop learning, and for one of sports’ most respected and successful individuals, learning is something that never ceases. At the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence, Baseball Hall of Famer and legendary Chicago Cub Ernie Banks taught all in attendance at Allen Arena the values of the learning process. “I’m just a learning person,” Banks said. As a part of the event, attendees got the chance to learn a little bit about Banks’ past, hear about his interactions with some of baseball’s great players and take to heart some of the wisdom he shared in a conversation with Jonathan Seamon. Banks, 83, is one of baseball’s most admired individuals. An icon in Wrigley Field on Chicago’s north side, the man beloved as “Mr. Cub” has amassed a large number of honors. Not only is he a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His Cubs’ jersey number was retired and there’s a statue in his honor at Wrigley Field. He’s also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – an award given him by President Barack Obama, another well-known Chicagoan, in 2013. Banks shared ballfields with such baseball legends as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Ron Santo and Roberto Clemente. Banks shared an anecdote about a time he encountered the legendary Robinson during a time out at the plate. The two met, and Robinson offered him sage words that impacted Banks – the importance of being silent and learning. “That’s what Jackie [Robinson] told me, you know, ‘just listen and learn,’ and that’s what I did,” Banks said. “For the young people today, that’s...
by Cory Woodroof | Mar 13, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Baseball great Ernie Banks will make his way to campus for the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence on April 19. Banks is considered to be one of the great baseball players in Chicago Cubs history and one of the most beloved players in the history of the sport. “The Don Meyer Evening of Excellence has had great guests over the years and we are thrilled to add Ernie Banks’ name to the Lipscomb lineup card,” Athletics Director Philip Hutcheson in a press release from Lipscomb Athletics. “Ernie Banks is one of those ‘Mount Rushmore’ kind of figures when it comes to the world of baseball’s greatest ambassadors.” Hutcheson spoke about Banks’ legacy in the sport and beyond. “Not only was he a Hall of Fame player on the field, but the joy that he brought to the game, the way he connected with his community and the work he did to promote what’s good about sports would have gotten him in Cooperstown even if he never played an inning,” Hutcheson said. Past guests include NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Coach Meyer himself. Last year, Duck Dynasty family members Phil, Si and Kay Robertson were the centerpieces of the event. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday event online or by phone at 615-966-4373. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
