A former Lyon College basketball player who is still ranked in the Top 10 in the Scots’ record book has returned to help in the resurgence of the men’s basketball program as Brandon Cowart has been named assistant basketball coach and intramural director at the Institution, according to Lyon Athletics Director Kevin Jenkins.
Cowart, 24, is a 2012 graduate of Lyon, earning a Bachelor of Art degree in History. He went on to collect a Masters of Science degree in Health and Human Performance, with a concentration on Sports Administration from NCAA Division I Northwestern State University earlier this year. He posted a grade-point average of 3.3 at NSU.
The first-year assistant still ranks sixth all-time at Lyon in career assists, handing out 251 in his career, which stretched from 2008-12. In his sophomore season (2010-11), Cowart hit 86.6% (58-of-67) of his free throws, which still ranks seventh all-time for a single season.
He was a graduate assistant with the Northwestern State men’s basketball program for the past two years (2012-14). During that time the Demons captured the Southland Conference tournament championship (23-9) in 2012-13, earned a trip to the NCAA National Tournament, were ranked second nationally in points per game each season and posted an overall record of 40-23.
"We’re excited to have Brandon back at Lyon," second-year head coach Chad Tapp stated. "We needed someone in that position who was going to really work at it in regards to recruiting, understanding what it takes to be a student-athlete at Lyon and genuinely care about the campus as a whole.
"Coaching at Northwestern State was a great experience for him, as he worked with some great coaches. He wasted no time getting here and getting to work and has shown a great worth ethic in the short time he’s been here. We are thankful he is on our staff."
Cowart was named to the TranSouth All-Freshman team in 2008-09, en route to making his mark in the Lyon record book. He was also a three-year high school letterman and all-conference guard at Class 7A Central Bryant High School, leading the team to the Arkansas State playoffs both as a junior and senior.
"I feel very fortunate and thankful to have the opportunity to return to Lyon College and work alongside Coach Tapp," Cowart stated. "As a former student-athlete here, I have a tremendous sense of pride for my alma mater’s success, both in the classroom and on the court.
"Coach Tapp did a tremendous job in his first year at Lyon, breaking the record for conference wins (15) in a season. I look forward to contributing to the cause in any way I can."
The Lyon basketball program finished third in the American Midwest Conference regular season a year ago, posting an overall record of 16-15 and a league mark of 15-5. This came after starting the season 2-9. The Scots’ 16 wins were the most since the 2004-05 team posted a 17-11 overall mark. Lyon only graduated two players of last year’s team and returns eight lettermen.
Cowart has also earned experience teaching college level courses for the Criminal Justice and Physical Education departments at NSU, had the opportunity to break down game film, put together scouting reports, assist in the planning of practices and coach a number of all-conference athletes while on the coaching staff. He has also worked camps at NSU, Lyon and Harding University.
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