Belmont University Director of Athletics Scott Corley announced Wednesday the hiring of Casey Alexander as the 10th head men’s basketball coach in program history.
Alexander will be formally introduced Thursday at a 9 a.m. CT press conference and welcome event within Belmont University’s Curb Event Center. The event will be open to the public.
“I couldn’t be more pleased and grateful to welcome Casey back home to Belmont,” Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher said. “Casey was such an important part of our university as a student, basketball player and a member of our coaching team for many years. We are amazed at all that he has accomplished in building successful teams as a head coach and we look forward to him bringing that same integrity, class, leadership and passion for fair-competition to Belmont.”
“Casey embodies everything we are looking for in our next head coach,” Corley said. “Firstly, he is a man of high character that will not take any shortcuts to success. Secondly, as a former player and assistant coach, he understands our core values and the approach that makes Belmont basketball so well respected nationally. Lastly, Casey is a winner. He’s won at every step of his basketball career and I expect that to continue as the leader of this program. I am so excited to welcome Casey, Sunni, and his three children back to Belmont!”
“It’s an honor and a great privilege to have the opportunity to return to Belmont,” Alexander said. “I’m grateful that Dr. Fisher and Scott Corley believe I’m the right person to lead this incredibly successful program. The experiences gained over the last eight years have shaped and impacted me greatly, and I return to Belmont far better positioned to lead.”
“This will always be Coach Byrd’s program in my mind,” Alexander continued. “So nothing will motivate me more than to make him proud and honor his legacy. We have a history of sustained excellence at Belmont, and everything is in place to build upon recent successes and make new history. We’re ready to get to work.”
Alexander, 46, returns to his alma mater after spending the past six seasons as head coach at Lipscomb University. The Nashville native spearheaded a program renaissance, leading the Bisons to the best three-year stretch of their NCAA Division I era and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Lipscomb won 113 games during Alexander’s tenure, including 72 over the final three campaigns. In addition, Lipscomb went 59-31 in Atlantic Sun Conference games and a sparkling 35-9 during the last three seasons.
Alexander led Lipscomb to a 29-8 record this past season, rewriting the program’s record book from total wins, national top 25 poll votes and top 50 ranking in the inaugural NET ranking system. The Bisons won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship and defeated Davidson, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina State and Wichita State in succession during an historic run to the 2019 Postseason NIT Championship game.
Earlier in the season, Lipscomb defeated No. 18 TCU for the program’s first-ever victory over a nationally ranked opponent.
Lipscomb ranked top 25 nationally in numerous statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring margin, assists per game, field goal percentage, free throws made, free throw percentage and defensive rebounding.
Alexander was named 2019 Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year, while Lipscomb senior Garrison Mathews garnered Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and Atlantic Sun Player of the Year honors.
Alexander’s program building has gained national acclaim from the coaching community and media members alike. He was named 2018 Skip Prosser Man of the Year by CollegeInsider.com. Named in honor of the former Xavier and Wake Forest coach, it is an award given annually to coaches who achieve success on the court and display moral integrity off it.
Three-point shooting was an area of strength during Alexander’s tenure, as Lipscomb made 1,793 3-pointers over the course of six seasons.
Prior to Lipscomb, Alexander spent two seasons as head coach at Stetson University. Inheriting a program that spent the previous decade under .500, Alexander led the Hatters to an 11-7 conference mark in Year 2; equaling the most league wins for Stetson since 1987.
Stetson center Adam Pegg earned the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Prior to his first head coaching opportunity, Alexander spent two decades at Belmont; first as a player and later as a member of Rick Byrd’s coaching staff.
A product of nearby Brentwood Academy, Alexander played point guard for Byrd at Belmont from 1991-95. He compiled a 119-25 record as a player, and helped lead Belmont to the top of the NAIA. As a senior in 1995, Alexander directed the then-Rebels to a 37-2 record, a No. 1 national ranking and an appearance in the NAIA National Semifinals.
From there, he spent 16 seasons as part of Byrd’s coaching staff. Belmont won 287 games with Alexander on staff. Over Alexander’s final eight seasons, the Bruins tallied 172 victories, six postseason appearances (four NCAA Tournaments, one NIT, one CIT), four Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championships, four Atlantic Sun Conference tournament titles, a remarkable 132-41 record in Atlantic Sun play, and road victories over Missouri, Alabama, and Cincinnati.
Alexander’s final season as a Byrd assistant in 2011 was arguably the finest in program history; Belmont went 30-5 and led the nation in scoring margin.
Alexander played an integral role in the recruitment and development of Belmont standouts, such as NBA Champion Ian Clark (’13), Kerron Johnson (’13), Drew Hanlen (’12), Alex Renfroe (’09) and Justin Hare (’08).
Alexander was inducted into the Belmont University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Belmont in 1995 and a master’s degree in sports management from Austin Peay in 1996.
Alexander and his wife, the former Sunni Dixon, also a 1995 Belmont graduate, are the parents of three children: Allie, Reed and Mason.
https://www.belmontbruins.com/sports/m-baskbl/2018-19/releases/20190410fhkl8h
