East Central University Men's Baseball

Kevin Paxson enters his second year as the East Central University head baseball coach. The ECU Athletic Department hired Paxson to lead the Tiger baseball program on August 2, 2023. In his first season, the Tigers went 9-41 overall and 6-27 in Great American Conference play, marking the most wins in league play since 2019. Paxson recorded his first ECU head coach win on Feb. 8, 2024 with a 14-9 win against Randall University, saw the team secure their first shut out win over an opponent since April 5, 2019, and helped lead ECU to their first GAC series victory since April of 2022 after defeating Oklahoma Baptist University in the 2024 season. Paxson entered ECU with nearly 20 years of baseball coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate level as well being the head coach for several prestigious teams in collegiate baseball summer leagues. Prior to his return to college coaching, Paxson served as the head coach at Shawnee High School for the last five seasons where he led the Wolves baseball program to four regional runner-up finishes while helping 25 players continue their baseball career at the collegiate level. Paxson's college experience consists of coaching stints the University of Central Oklahoma, Mid-America Christian University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and St. Gregory's University.   As the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach at UCO in 2011, Paxson assisted the team improving in every offensive category and won 11 more games than the previous season.   Before joining the Bronchos, Paxson spent two seasons as head coach for the Mid-America Christian baseball program where the team accumulated 48 wins in two years. Paxson also recruited and coached six players that went on to sign professional contracts.   After graduating from Oklahoma Baptist University with his bachelors degree, Paxson returned to his alma mater from 2006-08 as the assistant / hitting coach of the Bisons in which the team set records in batting average, runs scored and home runs in his two seasons.   Prior to joining the OBU staff, Paxson began his coaching career as the assistant coach at St. Gregory's University where he led the team to its first ever playoff appearance in 2004.   Additionally, Paxson has been the Manager for four different summer league teams including two NCAA sanctioned / MLB funded premier college summer league teams in New York and Connecticut and two collegiate baseball leagues in Oklahoma / Texas.   Before entering his coaching career, Paxson was a stand-out athlete at Shawnee High School before starting his college career at Cowley County Community College where he was a '96 All-Conference, All-Region, and Third Team All-American player.   From Cowley, Paxson returned to his hometown of Shawnee to play for the OBU Bisons where he was a two-time All-Conference selection.   After wrapping up his collegiate baseball career, Paxson signed professional contracts with the Tennessee Tomahawks in '97 and Springfield Capitals in '98 before transitioning into coaching.   Paxson received his masters in sports administration from ECU and a bachelors degree in exercise science / sports medicine from OBU.   Paxson is married to Kimberly, and together, they have triplet sons – Brody, Jax, and Carter – that are 11 years old.

Heather Hurt (Robben) was promoted to the fifth East Central University head women's basketball coach after her nine-year stint as assistant coach for the Tigers. Hurt took charge of the program in late December of 2022 after former head coach, Matt Cole, stepped down to take the position as ECU Director of Athletics. In her first full season as head coach durig 2023-24, the Tigers posted a 10-16 overall record with a 6-16 mark in Great American Conference play. Hurt helped produce a 3x All-GAC Second Team selection whose 16.7 points per game are the most by a Tiger in recent history. Throughout her time as interim head coach, Hurt led the Tigers to the No. 7 seed in the 2022-23 GAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament despite a tough beginning to the season. The Tigers have excelled in the classroom, as three student-athletes received GAC honors for their performance during the 2022-23 season. The three honorees included an All-GAC Second Team Member, GAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and two GAC Elite Scholar Athletes. The women's basketball team has consistently held one of the highest cumulative GPA's among ECU athletic teams. Hurt became a member of the Tiger family in 2014 and was the top assistant on the Tigers' staff for the last nine seasons. Prior to becoming a leader on the coaching staff, Hurt made her mark on the court for Hutchinson Community College, Wichita State University, and Emporia State University.   During her two year-stint at Emporia State University, Hurt served as the graduate assistant coach where she helped the team to two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and two Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament titles.   Hurt spent one season playing for the Hornets where she was an All-MIAA Second Team selection, helped ESU to the NCAA Central Regional Championship game, and was named to the 2012 All-Central Regional Tournament Team.   Before heading to ESU, Hurt spent a season at Wichita State University and spent her first two collegiate seasons at Hutchinson Community College. While playing for the Blue Dragons, she became the school's first two-time NJCAA All-American and helped the team to the NJCAA nationals. In 2020, she was honored by HCC by being named to their Athletics Hall of Fame.   Hurt earned a Master of Science degree in Health, Physical Education & Recreation in May 2014 and a Bachelor of Science in Business (Marketing) in December 2012 from Emporia State.  She also earned an Associate in Arts from Hutchinson Community College in May 2010.   Hurt is married to Jon Hurt, and together, they have one son, Jones (1).  

Jeff McGaha returned to the East Central University women’s basketball team as an assistant coach starting in the 2014-15.  McGaha’s duties include scouting and recruiting and coaching forwards. In his first season back, he helped guide senior Dilan Webster to All-GAC honors.  Webster left the Tigers as the all-time leading blocker (165).  In 2016-17 he helped guide Jalyn Jackson and Whitney Stotler to All-GAC Honorable Mention honors. McGaha was previously an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team for five and a half years.  He joined the staff half way through the 2005-06 season.  McGaha continued in the role through the 2010-11 season, when he moved into a full-time teaching role in the kinesiology department at ECU. McGaha has also had coaching stints at Konawa High School (two years) and Watonga High School.  While at Watonga he served as an assistant boys coach for two years and head boys coach for two more years. Prior to his stint at Watonga, he served as an assistant coach at Lexington High School for three years. McGaha is a 1991 graduate of Stuart High School and a graduate of ECU in 1995 with a degree in health, physical education and recreation and a teacher’s certification in biology. He also received his master’s degree in counseling from ECU.