East Texas Baptist University Men's Basketball

Proffitt takes over as the second head coach of the Tiger Bass Fishing team in 2026 after a stellar career as a collegiate angler. He is handed a strong program from Cameron Burger who guided the program for 10 years and left to take a job closer to family as Director of Outdoor Pursuits and Lake Management at Freestone Lake and Golf in Fairfield, Texas.  "We are beyond excited to welcome Kaden Proffitt back to ETBU as the next head coach for Tiger Bass Fishing. I could not think of a more ideal candidate to step into the role of Head Bass Fishing Coach at ETBU. Kaden has been an integral part of the program during his time on the team and while serving as a graduate assistant coach. His passion, expertise, commitment to excellence, and desire to use the sport of fishing to invest in the lives of young men in a Christ-centered environment is the perfect match for ETBU," says ETBU Senior Vice President for Campus LIfe Ryan Erwin. Proffitt, the 2022 MLF National Champion with teammate Cason Ragsdale, takes over the program he was a part of for five years as an angler and graduate assistant.  He brought the program their first national championship and qualified for the MLF National Tournament in 2021, 2022, 2023 and the Bassmaster’s Tournament in 2022 (20th). "I am so grateful to Cameron, Ryan Erwin, and Dr. Blackburn for giving me the opportunity to come back to The Hill as a coach. I grew a lot, both as a person and as a fisherman, in my five years under Cam’s leadership, and I cannot wait to see what God has planned for this next chapter of my life and of the ETBU Bass Team," says Proffitt.   In 2023, he started KP Fishing Guide Service in Marshall, Texas, taking clients and families around East Texas lakes for fishing trips.  His tours and knowledge of the lakes have led to his clients coming away with a great fishing experience.     He graduated from ETBU in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and in 2023 with a Master of Business Administration. He is married to Ardyn and they have one son.  The Proffitt's reside in Marshall and attend Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall.  

Chris Lovell enters his fourth year as the head coach of the men's basketball team and offers many years of basketball knowledge and championships won. He has a love for the game and spreading the word of Jesus will continue to be a foundation of his program. "We are delighted to welcome Coach Chris Lovell to the ETBU Family, as the next Head Coach for ETBU Men's Basketball.  Chris was someone we identified and sought out to follow Coach Curran.  His passion and love for Jesus and basketball were evident throughout the process.  Coach Lovell's dedication to excellence and using the sport of basketball to minister to his student-athletes is the perfect fit for ETBU and Tiger Basketball.  We are excited for Coach Lovell to lead the program in the years to come," said ETBU Vice President for Student Engagement and Athletics Ryan Erwin.   About Chris Lovell Lovell brings a championship resume to ETBU that will keep the men's basketball program in the top-tier of the ASC. He won three Texas TAPPS 5A state championships (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) at Prestonwood Christian Academy, while being ranked the #1 large private school in Texas. Then, in four years at Bossier Parish Community College, he turned a sub-par program into a program that was competing for a conference championship.   "I'm honored and thankful to have the opportunity to be the next head men's basketball coach at East Texas Baptist University," said Lovell. "ETBU is a special place and is a really good fit for me and my family. We will seek to honor God and continue to build on the foundation that Coach Curran has started here. I'm looking forward to creating and leading a culture of winning while recruiting the best players possible as we seek to represent the Lord and ETBU in the best way possible. I would like to thank Dr. Blackburn, Ryan Erwin and everyone at ETBU for this incredible opportunity. I am excited to get started and to bring an exciting style of basketball to ETBU." 2020-21 Season Facing challenges with a COVID-19 season, ETBU played 22 games finishing 14-8. Charlie Cochran was named ASC Player of the Week three times and was an East Division second team selection. Landin Brown and Aaron Gregg were then named All-ASC East Division honorable mention.  At Bossier Parish Community College In the 2019-2020 season, BPCC went 20-11 for their first 20-win season in over 15 years at BPCC. His team posted a 12-7 record in the NJCAA Region XIV tying for second place, which is the best finish for the program since moving to that region. On February 25, he was named the Hoopdirt.com National NJCAA JUCO Coach of the Week. He is a two-time LABC JUCO Coach of the Year and was the first coach since the early 2000s to post three straight winning seasons.   For the fourth straight season, BPCC qualified for the Region XIV conference tournament. In the 2018-19 season, his team reached the NJCAA Top 25 Poll for the first time in over 20 years. He has also coached the LABC JUCO Player of the Year the past three years.   At Prestonwood Christian Academy In three seasons as the head coach, Lovell won 99 games and three straight TAPPS 5A state championships. Max Preps had two of his teams ranked 50th (2014-15) and 81st (2015-16) in the nation.  In the 2014-15 season, his team was the #5 overall ranked high school team in Texas by Max Preps. He took his teams to national tournaments every year including the Jerry Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., and The Max Preps Classic in California.   From 2009-2012, he was the assistant head coach as Prestonwood Christian and won two TAPPS 5A state championship and were runners-up one season. In that year, they were ranked in the national top 10 by USA Today, ESPN, and Max Preps along with winning the #1 high school tournament in the country at the City of Palms Tournament. In his first two seasons as the assistant coach, they were state runners-up each season.   At Grapevine Faith Christian School In his first position as a head coach at the high school level, Lovell went 19-17 winning the Bi-District championship. His team advanced to the playoffs, which was the first time for the program in five years, and finished third in TAPPS 4A District 1. Before he arrived, the team had only won seven games the year before.   At Trinity Christian Academy Breaking into high school coaching as an assistant coach at Trinity Christian Academy, Lovell was a part of a strong winning program. In his three years, TCA won the 2008-09 Texas TAPPS 5A state championship and was the 2007-08 TAPPS 1-5A District champions. He was also a finalist for the TABC Assistant Coach of the Year.   In Ministry Lovell began ministry work in 1996 as the minister to students at Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, Tenn. He was there 10 years where he oversaw and led student ministries for sixth through 12th grades. He left there for Prestonwood Baptist Church where he served also as the minister to students for six years. At Prestonwood Baptist, a member organization of over 36,000 members, he was in charge of the global student ministries overlooking the staff of three campuses and 5,000 students. He was at this position for six years before moving to Grapevine Faith Christian School as the head men's basketball coach.   He started working in ministry at Kanakuk Camps in 1995 as the basketball head coach and director. He led the specialty camps for seventh through 12th grades.   Playing Experience Lovell was a four-year letterman at LSU-Shreveport playing in the NAIA. He was a three-year starter and a two-time captain for the Pilots. In high school, he played at Trinity Heights Christian Academy helping them to two L.I.S.A State Championships. In his senior season, he was All-District first team and a L.I.S.A. State All-Star game selection. The two-time team captain also helped his team to two district championships.   Lovell graduated from LSU-Shreveport in 1995 with a general studies degree and earned a Master's of Arts in Christian Education from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1999. He and his wife, Amanda, have three children, Paxton, Bowman, and Kerrington, and attend Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, La.   COACHING AWARDS 2019-20 LABC JUCO Coach of the Year 2018-19 LABC JUCO Coach of the Year Hoopdirt.com National NJCAA Coach of the Week - 2019-20 COLLEGIATE HEAD COACHING RECORD   Year School Record Conference Postseason 2022-23 ETBU 24-6 14-4 ASC Champion / NCAA Round of 32 2021-22 ETBU 14-12 12-8 ASC Quarterfinalist 2020-21 ETBU 14-8 7-5 (5th-E) NA 2019-20 BPCC 20-11 NA  Region 14 participant 2018-19 BPCC 19-12 NA Region 14 participant 2017-18 BPCC 17-14 NA Region 14 participant 2016-17 BPCC 10-21 NA Region 14 participant Total 118-84 33-17   PLAYERS EARNING AWARDS UNDER LOVELL   Year Player Award 2022-23 Darry Moore NABC District 10 All-Region Second Team / All-ASC First Team Aaron Gregg All-ASC Second Team Kevin Charles All-ASC Defensive Team / All-ASC Third Team 2021-22 Aaron Gregg All-ASC Second Team Darry Moore All-ASC Newcomer Of The Year; Third Team Chris Haynes All-ASC Honorable Mention Ryan Elzy All-ASC Freshman Team 2020-21 Charlie Cochran All-ASC East Division Second Team Aaron Gregg, Landin Brown All-ASC East Division Honorable Mention 2019-20 Eric Parrish LABC JUCO Player of the Year 2018-19 Mubarak Muhammed LABC JUCO Player of the Year 2017-18 Lasani Johnson LABC JUCO Player of the Year  

Morgan Garrett was added to the women's basketball staff as the top assistant coach for the 2024-25 season. She assisted in leading the Tigers to the programs second American Southwest Conference (ASC) Tournament Championship, a 23-5 overall record, and a berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament. This is her second stint as an assistant coach on Blake Arbogast’s staff (2021-2022 previously).   Head Coach Blake Arbogast said, "I am excited and grateful to have Morgan returning to ETBU and the women's basketball program. Her love for the Lord, ETBU, and this program will, without a doubt, leave a mark on the campus and program this year. I am looking forward to working alongside her and this staff."   Garrett has been the head girls' basketball coach at Riverdale Academy (Coushatta, La.) and Providence Classical Academy (Bossier City, La), collecting a 118-41 record. She has spent the past two seasons (2022-23, 2023-24) at PCA, going 25-8 this year and making the playoffs.   She started her coaching career as the head girls' coach at Riverdale Academy from 2016 through 2020. Riverdale won the 2018 MAIS State Championship, and she was the Class A Coach of the Year, guiding her team to an undefeated District record. They were also the 2020 MAIS State Runners-Up, boasting an undefeated District record. The three-time MAIS District Coach of the Year was also an All-Star Coach and a MAIS Futures Coach in 2023 and 2024.   Between her two stints coaching in the high school ranks, she was the second assistant and head developmental coach under Arbogast for the 2021-22 season. ETBU went 21-6 in her only season on his staff and made the NCAA Division III Tournament, upsetting #19 Rhodes College, 65-53, in the first round. That year, ETBU went 4-3 against ranked opponents with one of the most demanding schedules in the nation.   Her collegiate playing career expanded from 2012 to 2016 for ETBU, where she played in 101 games, starting 36. She recorded 360 points, made 94 three-pointers, and had 116 assists. ETBU won 52 games during that time, going 16-10 in 2012-13 and 17-10 in 2015-16, and made two American Southwest Conference Tournament appearances.   She graduated from ETBU in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Education in 2017.

Giving back to the university he loves and graduated from, Bryan Thomas will be helping the East Texas Baptist University bass fishing team as the Director of Operations. Thomas adds several years of bass fishing experience to help guide ETBU in their new program. Thomas is a teacher at Lumberton High School teaching marketing. He is a 1997 graduate of East Texas Baptist University and currently lives in Beaumont, Texas. He played an important role in the start of SETX High School Bass Fishing Circuit. He is married to Christi Williams Thomas who also graduated from ETBU. They have two daughters, Abby and Allie.

Coach Ejeh Emmanuel was born & raised in Abuja, Nigeria & its surrounding suburbs. Growing up his home life was centered on faith in God and a humble family. Early on, it was evident he developed two interests - sport & education. He excelled in his education by attending and graduating from Southwest Christian Academy, Bossier Parish City Community College with an Associate Degree in Information Technology, Mississippi Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, and Mississippi State University with Master of Science in Sport Administration. His basketball playing career includes prep school at Southwest Christian, college basketball at Bossier Parish Community College, and Mississippi Valley State University (NCAA D1). After an extensive basketball career, he desired to give back to the community and the sport and transitioned his gifts & talents to coaching. From 2020-22, he served as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Mississippi State (NCAA D1/SEC), 2022-23 as an Assistant at University of West Florida (NCAA D2), and Currently serving as the Head Mens Developmental Basketball Coach and Assistant on the varsity team at East Texas Baptist University. My focuses is to be a positive influence on kids and making a lasting impact in their lives thats what coaching is all about. A coachs worth isnt found in their wins & losses, its found in the impact they have in their community and more importantly the impact in their players live Amen.  God is Good All the Time