Lee University men’s basketball assistant coach Cole Rose has been named associate head coach, it was recently announced by Lee athletic director Larry Carpenter and head men’s coach Bubba Smith.
“Coach Rose has been an integral part of our men’s basketball program for the past seven years,” said Carpenter. “He is one of the hardest workers I know and is relentless as a recruiter, which is evidenced by the quality of athletes we have been able to sign. He is certainly deserving of this promotion, and I am happy we are able to reward his contributions with this new title.”
Coach Smith added, “Coach Rose has been with me from the beginning and we have a great balance and complement one another well. Being able to promote him this year to Associate Head Coach is a credit to his commitment and value to our program. He truly cares about the development of our student-athletes in every area of their lives.”
“I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity to continue serving at Lee under a new title. I want to thank (president) Dr. Mark Walker, Coach Carpenter and (vice-president) Cole Strong for the opportunity,” commented Rose. “I am appreciative of the tremendous support they give to all of our athletics here, making this such a great place to coach. Mostly, I am appreciative of Head Coach Bubba Smith and grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from him daily. Over the last five years, he’s been a huge influence on me both professionally and personally and I’m proud to be able to be a part of the direction he’s leading our program.”
Rose is a former Lee standout player who helped lead the men’s basketball team to 55 wins against just 12 defeats during his two seasons as a Flame. He is entering his seventh season of helping direct the successful program.
He assists in all aspects of the program including serving as the recruiting coordinator and leading scouting efforts on opponents. During the 2019-20 season Rose helped lead the Flames to the program’s first ever GSC Tournament victory and first trip to the NCAA National Tournament with a record of 22-7 overall and 16-4 in the GSC.
As a player during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns, Rose was named to the All-SSAC team in his senior season and was honored as team captain for the 2007-08 squad that tallied the most wins (33) in program history. He was known as a hard-nosed defender, who loved his teammates, and never backed away from any challenge.
During his tenure, the Flames were Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) regular season and tournament champions in 2007-08. Lee advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA National Tournament before falling to tourney champs, Oklahoma City.
Prior to playing for the Flames Rose was a member of the Belmont University Bruins and made an appearance in the 2006 NCAA National Tournament. Rose was an Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic team member.
He began his coaching career in the high school ranks, taking over the Boyd Buchanan School program and quickly turning it into one of the best teams in the Chattanooga area. In 2012-13 the Bucs were 25-8 and reached the sub-state of TSSAA play. In 2013-14 his squad posted an impressive 28-4 record and was knocked out of the state tournament by a powerful Memphis team. Rose was named Region Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.
During his time at Boyd Buchanan, Rose earned his master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2013 in English Rhetoric and Composition.
Cole is married to Ashley (Scott) Rose and the couple reside in Cleveland with their daughter Penny and son Jack.
Assistant Coach Nathan Moran
Moran brings experience to the staff as a former player on Lipscomb University teams that reached the NCAA National (DI) Tournament in 2018 and NIT Finals in 2019.? He earned a four-year scholarship after a year of being a walk-on, and accumulated 1,140 points, 405 assists and was voted the team captain his junior year. He graduated with a BBA in Marketing/Entrepreneurship.
Moran served as a graduate assistant at Missouri Western State University this past season, running the redshirt program and playing a vital role in player development, plus helping create and execute scouting reports while completing his MBA.
Moran is the founder and owner of Fueled Training (Franklin, Tennessee) where he trains athletes ranging from middle school to the collegiate level. He is also a former Lyft/Uber driver in Nashville. Moran has been deeply involved in community engagement as a Young Life Leader (2019-Present), Athletes in Action Captain’s Academy (2018), Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Representative (2016-2018) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes President (2013-2014); member (2014-2018). Nathan’s wife Brooke is a former soccer player at Lipscomb .
Said Coach Bubba Smith, “We are excited to add Nathan to our staff. I have known him since his time in high school and followed his career while he was at Lipscomb. Nathan is a perfect fit for our program at Lee. He understands what we value and will be a great addition to our culture. His experience as a freshman walk-on, then earning a four-year scholarship and achieving at a high level, translates well to our philosophy in player development and recruiting four-year players. Our players will love his competitiveness and commitment to helping them reach their fullest potential.”
