Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Basketball head coach Brent Owen has promoted Tyrone Grady to associate head coach, elevating one of his most trusted assistants within a program that has quickly become one of the premier programs in Division II.
“I couldn’t ask for a better assistant coach than Tyrone. He has been operating as an associate head coach all along with heavy responsibility in all aspects of our program. This promotion is well-deserved and has been earned through his relentless work ethic and passion for our players and our program.”
Coach Grady joined the Bears’ coaching staff in the spring of 2024 as an assistant coach, coming across the country with Owen after the two, along with current LR assistant Cesar Lujan-Flores, helped engineer one of the most successful seasons in Eastern New Mexico University history. That winning culture carried directly to Hickory. In Grady’s first season with the Bears (2024-25), Lenoir-Rhyne put together arguably the best season in program history — finishing 29-6 (20-4 SAC), setting a new program record for wins, capturing the SAC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2003, and winning the program’s first ever NCAA Regional Championship. The Bears’ run ended in the Elite Eight against Washburn, but the season cemented LR as a national contender. The 2025-26 season reinforced that standing. The Bears went 26-9 (17-5 SAC) tying the second most wins in school history. The Bears also made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, dispatching North Georgia (80-67) and Young Harris (84-78) before falling in the Regional Championship. The program has now made consecutive trips to the Regional Championship round under Owen and Grady’s leadership.
The promotion comes as a natural recognition of Grady’s contributions to that sustained success. With back-to-back Regional Championship appearances and a clear trajectory upward, Grady’s elevation to associate head coach signals that the Bears will keep their staff intact as they continue to build on one of the program’s most successful stretches in history.
