Following the most successful season in the University of Central Arkansas men’s basketball program’s Division I history, head coach John Shulman has announced a series of staff promotions along with the addition of assistant coach Creighton Lebo as the Bears continue building toward another conference championship run. The announcements come after a historic 2025-26 campaign that saw Central Arkansas capture the ASUN regular-season championship, earn the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship and finish 22-12 overall with a 15-3 conference record. The Bears won 11 consecutive ASUN games, all three conference losses were in overtime on the road, while setting UCA Division I program records for overall victories, conference wins, longest winning streak and highest conference finish. UCA also advanced to the ASUN Championship game for the first time in program history.
As part of the restructuring, Brock Widders has been promoted to Associate Head Coach/General Manager, Max Shulman has added the title of Offensive Coordinator, and Ryan Montgomery has been named Director of Player Development in addition to his role as assistant coach.
“Coach Widders has been crucial in the growth of our program,” said Shulman. “He is without a doubt the best recruiter in the state of Arkansas and the success that we had last year can be pointed at Brock and his work in this state. Our NIL growth and the organization of our program falls in his hands so it is only appropriate that the title of General Manager should go to Brock. He is bright, works and knows the game and loves the University of Central Arkansas. I have said this on more than one occasion but we do not win the ASUN Championship without Brock Widders.”
Max Shulman will now serve as Assistant Basketball Coach/Offensive Coordinatorafter directing one of the nation’s most productive offenses.
“Max has become one of those offensive guys that people are starting to take notice of around the country,” John Shulman said. “People don’t want to play UCA because of our offense and that falls on Max Shulman. He played in this offense at UAH and has taken it to another level. UCA was one of the top offensive teams in the country last year and he had full control from installation to making calls in games. He is smart and open to learning and doesn’t rest on his laurels. We don’t win the league last year if we weren’t elite offensively and averaging over 80 points per game is just the start. He is more than deserving of the addition of Offensive Coordinator to his title.”
Ryan Montgomery‘s title has expanded to Assistant Basketball Coach/Director of Player Development, recognizing his impact on the continued improvement of the Bears’ roster.
“Ryan was a great college player who went on to play professional basketball so it makes sense that he has become an elite player development coach,” Shulman said. “Being the Director of Player Development takes a few things to master—you have to have the skill, credibility, trust, great relationships and be able to make guys better. He has become that guy on our staff. He is available 24/7 for our guys and they take full advantage of that luxury. There wasn’t a day that I walked into the office at 7:45 and Ryan was on the court with our players. Our guys get better and our guys are hungry for more. This is a no-brainer to name Ryan our Director of Player Development.”
The Bears also welcome Creighton Lebo as an assistant basketball coach.
Lebo arrives in Conway after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina under head coach Hubert Davis. During his time in Chapel Hill, he assisted with opponent scouting, film breakdown, practice planning, player development, recruiting visits and daily program operations. He also gained professional experience as a Summer League intern in Las Vegas in 2025 and served as a Volunteer Player Development Assistant with the Boston Celtics during the 2026 offseason, working with NBA coaches and players throughout Summer League and training camp.
“I am super excited to join Central Arkansas’ coaching staff,” Lebo said. “I can’t thank Coach Shulman enough for the opportunity, and I look forward to helping continue the basketball success that he and the staff achieved last season.”
Shulman believes Lebo’s experience and basketball pedigree will make an immediate impact.
“Creighton Lebo is going to be a special basketball coach,” Shulman said. “His grandfather (Dave) is a legend in the game and his father (Jeff) is a legend in the game. Creighton has played on the highest level and coached on the highest level and brings great expertise to UCA. We are excited about having him in the program and I know our players are going to benefit from him on and off the court.”
Shulman also announced that Drake Henderson joined the program earlier this offseason as an assistant basketball coach, while Ivan Hadzicr eturns as the Bears’ strength and conditioning coach as UCA prepares for another run at a Conference championship, this time in the UAC.
