Lees-McRae College Men's Basketball

Hardin is in his fourth season as the head mens basketball coach at Lees-McRae College.  Up tempo is a good term to describe Coach Hardin on and off the court. He has the reputation from his peers as a tireless worker and relentless recruiter. His passion for the student-athlete perfectly mirrors the Bobcat Athletics drive for comprehensive excellence academically, athletically and socially. Expect Hardins program to excel in all aspects of the student-athlete experience. His focus is on finding winning guys on and off the court.  Steve is one of the best up and coming young coaches in our business.  I have known Steve since I first got into coaching at Tennessee Tech University.  He is a great recruiter and an outstanding coach.  I have always loved his competitive energy and spirit about the game. He is a family man and has great leadership qualities to be a successful coach.   Lees-McRae has a great one in Steve Hardin. - Orlando G.G. Smith (Head Coach, Loyola University)  "Steve has the coaching gene in his blood being the son of a coach.  I saw firsthand at Tennessee Tech his passion for the game. There was no doubt that this profession would be his destiny."- Jeff Lebo (Head Coach, East Carolina)  Coach Hardin is a tireless worker who has the best interest of the student athletes in mind.  He recruits high character and talented players that will succeed on and off the floor.- Scott Cherry (Head Coach, High Point University, 1993 National Champion for UNC)  Coach Hardin eats, sleeps and lives basketball. Hes a hustler on the recruiting trail and as the son of a high school coach hes extremely detailed on the Xs& Os of the game.- Jason Allison (Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach, Appalachian State University, former Lees-McRae assistant coach)  Coach Hardin will do a tremendous job bringing the passion and fire to Lees-McRae basketball through his work ethic and energy; He is an extremely hard worker on the court and on the recruiting trail.- Will Wade (Head Coach, Virginia Commonwealth University)  Ive known Steve for over 20 years and is a guy I grew up playing with, his dad helped teach the game to all of us in high school. He is a guy I respect immensely and proud to call a friend. Lees-McRae is lucky to have him as their head coach"- Micheal Morrell (Assistant coach, University Of Texas)  Coach Hardins coaching philosophy and brand for the Lees-McRae Bobcat basketball team is FIRE, which simply means Fearless Intense Relentless Effort. Fans can expect an up-tempo, in-your-face game from Hardin and his players, as he wants to create consistent confusion in his fusion defense. Coach Hardins teams will have an identity with FIRE that can be an exciting brand of basketball for both the school and the fans.  During an incredible 2015-16 season, Hardin's team defeated then-No. 4 Mount Olive at home. After breaking the total wins and conference wins school record in 2014-15, the Bobcats accomplished the same feat while earning a No. 3 seed in the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship and hosted the first postseason game in school history. The team earned the NABC all-academic award while Hardin garnered the H.C. Evans Jr. Fidelity award. Senior Austin Anderson grabbed six postseason awards, including Conference Carolinas Player of the Year. He was tabbed to an NCAA DII All-American Honorable Mention and second-team all-district. The Bobcats had three representatives inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma North Carolina chapter. The team boasted a GPA of 3.4.  The 2014-2015 season was one for the record and history books. Coach Hardins squad broke the school record for wins in a season. LMC also finished the highest ever in Conference Carolinas.   Lees-McRae lead the conference and ranked nationally in steals (10.5) as Coach Hardins team also valued the basketball in leading the conference with fewest turnovers a game (11.2) the 14-15 team tied for the most points per game, (82.9). The Bobcats ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in nine categories.  Coach Hardin proved that Lees-McRae basketball can defend, take care of the basketball, score and rebound extremely consistently. Coach Hardins seniors stepped up for the program huge while Jacquise Moore led all of the NCAA in steals (3.3). Moore earned Conference Carolinas first-team honors while point guard Sean Deniton earned third team and academic honors. 2013-2014 season under Hardin brought twelve new faces to the team.  The Bobcats started off the season with the best record start in school history at 6-2 and 3-1 mark vs region contenders out of the South Atlantic Conference.  Under Coach Hardin's FIRE system the team averaged 81 points per contest, shot 780 Free throws (No. 1 in Conference Carolinas and No. 41 NCAA) at 72.6%, 9.6 steals per game (No. 1 in Conference Carolinas and No. 36 NCAA).  Moore (Concord, N.C.) led the Conference Carolinas in steals 2.3 per contest.  A balanced scoring attack lead the Bobcats with posting five players averaging over 10 points per game.   During the 2012-2013 season, the Bobcats posted a combined grade-point average of 3.0 as a team in Coach Hardins first year at the helm, graduating eight seniors. Illawong, Australia native Daniel Sepokas ranked eighth in the conference in scoring to lead the Bobcats.  Hardin joined the Bobcats during the 2010-2011 season following a successful stint at Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va. as the head womens basketball coach. During his three-year tenure at Bluefield, Hardin earned Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors while leading the Rams to their highest finish in the AAC standings.  Under Hardin's leadership, the Rams were ranked in the NAIA for the first time in school history and also earned the program's first AAC Champions of Character award in 2010, while holding a No. 3 ranking in the NCCAA throughout the season and earning the school's first-ever berth in the NCCAA Tournament.  During the 2009-2010 season, the Rams also posted the best record in program history with a 25-10 overall mark that tops school history wins for a season. All of these accomplishments occurred in just two years as Hardin took over the program which had posted two wins the previous season, compiling a 40-26 record while at the helm.  Hardin played an integral role as the associate head coach with the men's basketball program at Bluefield, helping the Rams to three straight NAIA Tournament appearances with a squad that posted a combined 92-41 record over that span.  Bluefield claimed three straight AAC championships during Hardin's tenure while ranking eighth in the NAIA national poll, marking the first appearance in the top 10 in school history. The Rams led the nation in a multitude of statistical categories while Hardin was on the sidelines, topping the NAIA ranks in both scoring offense (91.4) and total blocks (171) in 2008-2009 while leading the nation in rejections per game (6.9) in 2005-2006.  While at Bluefield, Hardin recruited and coached 18 all-Appalachian Athletic Conference players, three AAC Defensive Players of the Year, four AAC Offensive Players of the Year, 14 NCCAA All-Americans, five NAIA All-Americans, seven NAIA Academic All-Americans, and two AAC Players of the Year.  Prior to his appointment as the head womens coach at Bluefield, Hardin served as the associate head mens basketball coach, junior varsity basketball coach, and head mens golf coach at the Bluefield, Va. school from 2005-2008.  Hardin entered the coaching ranks as a student assistant with the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech. While at Tennessee Tech, Hardin was part of back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championship squads and a quarterfinal finish in the NIT. The Golden Eagles posted a 47-16 overall record and a 28-4 mark in the OVC.  The Elizabethton, Tenn. native has coached 18 players that have played and/or still playing professional basketball with one playing in the National Basketball Associations D-League.  Hardin is following in the footsteps of his father, Tony Hardin, a former high school coach in Tennessee for over 30 years. Prior to Tennessee Tech, Hardin served as an assistant coach with his father, who owns a career record of 520-290.  Hardin is married to the former Tanika Andrews, a teacher in Bristol, Tenn. They are the proud parents of Lyla Gail Hardin and Campbell Steven Hardin.  The Hardin family resides in Elizabethton, Tenn. Steve Hardin is in his fourth season as the head mens basketball coach at Lees-McRae College.  Up tempo is a good term to describe Coach Hardin on and off the court. He has the reputation from his peers as a tireless worker and relentless recruiter. His passion for the student-athlete perfectly mirrors the Bobcat Athletics drive for comprehensive excellence academically, athletically and socially. Expect Hardins program to excel in all aspects of the student-athlete experience. His focus is on finding winning guys on and off the court.  Steve is one of the best up and coming young coaches in our business.  I have known Steve since I first got into coaching at Tennessee Tech University.  He is a great recruiter and an outstanding coach.  I have always loved his competitive energy and spirit about the game. He is a family man and has great leadership qualities to be a successful coach.   Lees-McRae has a great one in Steve Hardin. - Orlando G.G. Smith (Head Coach, Loyola University)  "Steve has the coaching gene in his blood being the son of a coach.  I saw firsthand at Tennessee Tech his passion for the game. There was no doubt that this profession would be his destiny."- Jeff Lebo (Head Coach, East Carolina)  Coach Hardin is a tireless worker who has the best interest of the student athletes in mind.  He recruits high character and talented players that will succeed on and off the floor.- Scott Cherry (Head Coach, High Point University, 1993 National Champion for UNC)  Coach Hardin eats, sleeps and lives basketball. Hes a hustler on the recruiting trail and as the son of a high school coach hes extremely detailed on the Xs& Os of the game.- Jason Allison (Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach, Appalachian State University, former Lees-McRae assistant coach)  Coach Hardin will do a tremendous job bringing the passion and fire to Lees-McRae basketball through his work ethic and energy; He is an extremely hard worker on the court and on the recruiting trail.- Will Wade (Head Coach, Virginia Commonwealth University)  Ive known Steve for over 20 years and is a guy I grew up playing with, his dad helped teach the game to all of us in high school. He is a guy I respect immensely and proud to call a friend. Lees-McRae is lucky to have him as their head coach"- Micheal Morrell (Assistant coach, University Of Texas)  Coach Hardins coaching philosophy and brand for the Lees-McRae Bobcat basketball team is FIRE, which simply means Fearless Intense Relentless Effort. Fans can expect an up-tempo, in-your-face game from Hardin and his players, as he wants to create consistent confusion in his fusion defense. Coach Hardins teams will have an identity with FIRE that can be an exciting brand of basketball for both the school and the fans.  During an incredible 2015-16 season, Hardin's team defeated then-No. 4 Mount Olive at home. After breaking the total wins and conference wins school record in 2014-15, the Bobcats accomplished the same feat while earning a No. 3 seed in the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship and hosted the first postseason game in school history. The team earned the NABC all-academic award while Hardin garnered the H.C. Evans Jr. Fidelity award. Senior Austin Anderson grabbed six postseason awards, including Conference Carolinas Player of the Year. He was tabbed to an NCAA DII All-American Honorable Mention and second-team all-district. The Bobcats had three representatives inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma North Carolina chapter. The team boasted a GPA of 3.4.  The 2014-2015 season was one for the record and history books. Coach Hardins squad broke the school record for wins in a season. LMC also finished the highest ever in Conference Carolinas.   Lees-McRae lead the conference and ranked nationally in steals (10.5) as Coach Hardins team also valued the basketball in leading the conference with fewest turnovers a game (11.2) the 14-15 team tied for the most points per game, (82.9). The Bobcats ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in nine categories.  Coach Hardin proved that Lees-McRae basketball can defend, take care of the basketball, score and rebound extremely consistently. Coach Hardins seniors stepped up for the program huge while Jacquise Moore led all of the NCAA in steals (3.3). Moore earned Conference Carolinas first-team honors while point guard Sean Deniton earned third team and academic honors. 2013-2014 season under Hardin brought twelve new faces to the team.  The Bobcats started off the season with the best record start in school history at 6-2 and 3-1 mark vs region contenders out of the South Atlantic Conference.  Under Coach Hardin's FIRE system the team averaged 81 points per contest, shot 780 Free throws (No. 1 in Conference Carolinas and No. 41 NCAA) at 72.6%, 9.6 steals per game (No. 1 in Conference Carolinas and No. 36 NCAA).  Moore (Concord, N.C.) led the Conference Carolinas in steals 2.3 per contest.  A balanced scoring attack lead the Bobcats with posting five players averaging over 10 points per game.   During the 2012-2013 season, the Bobcats posted a combined grade-point average of 3.0 as a team in Coach Hardins first year at the helm, graduating eight seniors. Illawong, Australia native Daniel Sepokas ranked eighth in the conference in scoring to lead the Bobcats.  Hardin joined the Bobcats during the 2010-2011 season following a successful stint at Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va. as the head womens basketball coach. During his three-year tenure at Bluefield, Hardin earned Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors while leading the Rams to their highest finish in the AAC standings.  Under Hardin's leadership, the Rams were ranked in the NAIA for the first time in school history and also earned the program's first AAC Champions of Character award in 2010, while holding a No. 3 ranking in the NCCAA throughout the season and earning the school's first-ever berth in the NCCAA Tournament.  During the 2009-2010 season, the Rams also posted the best record in program history with a 25-10 overall mark that tops school history wins for a season. All of these accomplishments occurred in just two years as Hardin took over the program which had posted two wins the previous season, compiling a 40-26 record while at the helm.  Hardin played an integral role as the associate head coach with the men's basketball program at Bluefield, helping the Rams to three straight NAIA Tournament appearances with a squad that posted a combined 92-41 record over that span.  Bluefield claimed three straight AAC championships during Hardin's tenure while ranking eighth in the NAIA national poll, marking the first appearance in the top 10 in school history. The Rams led the nation in a multitude of statistical categories while Hardin was on the sidelines, topping the NAIA ranks in both scoring offense (91.4) and total blocks (171) in 2008-2009 while leading the nation in rejections per game (6.9) in 2005-2006.  While at Bluefield, Hardin recruited and coached 18 all-Appalachian Athletic Conference players, three AAC Defensive Players of the Year, four AAC Offensive Players of the Year, 14 NCCAA All-Americans, five NAIA All-Americans, seven NAIA Academic All-Americans, and two AAC Players of the Year.  Prior to his appointment as the head womens coach at Bluefield, Hardin served as the associate head mens basketball coach, junior varsity basketball coach, and head mens golf coach at the Bluefield, Va. school from 2005-2008.  Hardin entered the coaching ranks as a student assistant with the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech. While at Tennessee Tech, Hardin was part of back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championship squads and a quarterfinal finish in the NIT. The Golden Eagles posted a 47-16 overall record and a 28-4 mark in the OVC.  The Elizabethton, Tenn. native has coached 18 players that have played and/or still playing professional basketball with one playing in the National Basketball Associations D-League.  Hardin is following in the footsteps of his father, Tony Hardin, a former high school coach in Tennessee for over 30 years. Prior to Tennessee Tech, Hardin served as an assistant coach with his father, who owns a career record of 520-290.  Hardin is married to the former Tanika Andrews, a teacher in Bristol, Tenn. They are the proud parents of Lyla Gail Hardin and Campbell Steven Hardin.  The Hardin family resides in Elizabethton, Tenn.