Brent Owen enters his second season as the Head Men' Basketball Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne after leading the Bears to one of the program's most successful seasons in school history in 2024.
In his first year at the helm in 2024-25Â Owen and the Bears finished with a 29-6 record, making it the most wins in a single season in school history. They won the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Tournament Championship, the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship, and advanced the the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana. It marked the first time in men's basketball history LR has won an NCAA Division II Regional Championship.
For his efforts, Owen was named the 2025 SAC Coach of the Year, and was also tabbed Co-Coach of the Year for the NCAA Division II Southeast Region. Coach Owen signed a new three-year contract extension in April 2025 to remain as head men's basketball coach through April 2028.Â
Lenoir-Rhyne Student-Athlete Accolades Under Brent Owen
- Ziare Wells - SAC Tournament MVP, SAC Newcomer of the Year, Second Team All-Region, First Team All-Conference
- Conrad Luczynski - Southeast Regional Tournament MVP, Third Team All-Conference
- Hantz Louis-Jeune - Second Team All-Conference
Coach Owen came to Lenoir-Rhyne after four years at the helm of Eastern New Mexico. In only his third season of competition at ENMU, Owen led the program to a Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship for the first time in 31 years and the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. When Owen took over the ranks at ENMU, he initiated a full rebuild for the program that included recruiting the LSC Freshman of the Year in the 2021-22 season. In his second year, Owen led the program to a 17-win season in 2022-23, the most victories the program had seen in 19 years. In addition, the Greyhounds earned their first postseason berth in six years and achieved a 13-game home winning streak, the longest for ENMU since 1967. Owen went 46-39 during his three years at ENMU, including a 39-22 mark during his final two seasons.
Before Eastern New Mexico, Owen served as an assistant coach at the University of Southern Indiana for six years. During Owen's time with the Screaming Eagles, the program achieved an overall record of 131-53. In each of his last four seasons at Southern Indiana, the program manufactured four-straight 20-win seasons, which included a 2018-19 campaign that saw the program reach the national semifinals and win the Midwest Regional. He was responsible for recruiting 2017 Division II All-American Jeril Taylor, who was also the GLVC Player of the Year, along with the 2018 and 2019 Division II All-American Alex Stein, who is the all-time leading scorer in program history.Â
Owen's head coach experience began when he led the Tell City High School program. Located in Tell City, Indiana, Owen hired all new coaches at the youth and high school levels in addition to designing and implementing a basketball fundraising organization, the "Three-Point Club." He also started the Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle that now has more than 100 members.Â
Before his six seasons with Southern Indiana as an assistant coach, Owen got his start with the program as a graduate assistant back in 2009. During his two years as a graduate assistant and one as a volunteer assistant, the Screaming Eagles posted a 72-16 record, including two appearances in the NCAA Tournament and a 2012 GLVC Championship. Over the duration of Owen's combined nine-year tenure at Southern Indiana, the program averaged an impressive 23 wins per season and was ranked in the top 25 NABC national rankings in seven different seasons.Â
Owen is a two-time graduate of University of Southern Indiana, where he earned a master's in public administration in 2011, a Bachelor of Science in teaching K-12 physical education with a minor in health and human safety in 2009.
Owen resides in Hickory with his wife Ashley, their two sons Kruze and Benham, and their newborn daughter Emmarie.
Brent Owen Profile
- 2024-Present: Lenoir-Rhyne University - Head Coach
- 2020-2024: Eastern New Mexico University - Head Coach
- 2014-2020: University of Southern Indiana - Assistant Coach
- 2012-2014: Tell City High School - Head Coach
- 2011-2012: University of Southern Indiana - Volunteer Assistant
- 2009-2011: University of Southern Indiana - Graduate Assistant
- 2006-2009: University of Southern Indiana - Student-Athlete
