University of Central Arkansas Men's Basketball

John Shulman became the head coach at the University of Central Arkansas on March 18, 2024 after a successful stint at The University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Shulman is entering year 39 in his coaching career having spent 8 years coaching high school and 31 in the collegiate ranks. Shulman has been a college head coach for 15 years and has guided 2 teams to the NCAA tournament at the Division 1 and 2 levels. Coach Shulman’s first year at UCA was a season of building culture and new standards. The Bears dealt with injuries but Shulman was able to guide them to the Atlantic Sun Tournament and earned them their second ASUN tournament victory in program history with a 77- 72 win over the defending ASUN champions, Stetson. Shulman’s teams have consistently proven themselves in tournament play, having shown consistent improvement as the season progresses. Going back to his time at UAH; in games played after January 25, his teams are a combined 52-16 (.765) overall, 37-9 (.804) in regular season games and 15-7 (.632) in postseason competition. Shulman has accrued a 112-39 overall record in his time at UAH, which includes a 77-27 mark in Gulf South Conference matchups. In his five seasons with the Chargers, Shulman has notched five NCAA tournament berths, two GSC tournament championships, and one GSC regular season championship. He has also guided two GSC Players of the Year, three All-South District performers, and five All-GSC selections. Moreover, under his mentorship, Sam Orf became the program's ninth All-American and the first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-American after being named the GSC West Division Player of the Year. In his final campaign at UAH, Shulman led the Chargers to a 21-11 overall record and a 17-7 mark in the conference which earned the squad the No. 3 seed in the GSC tournament. UAH once again earned a bid to the NCAA tournament, the program’s 5th in 5 years under Shulman’s tutelage. He arrived in the Rocket City with an extensive resume of collegiate coaching experience including serving as the head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga from 2004 to 2013. While at Chattanooga, the Mocs earned two NCAA tournament appearances following a pair of Southern Conference championships, and his team finished as the tournament runners-up in a third title game appearance. The second winningest coach in Chattanooga history, Shulman also won four SoCon North Division championships. In 2005, he was named as the top collegiate coach in Tennessee thanks to a season that included a NCAA tournament berth and Chattanooga’s first win in 80 years over in-state foe Tennessee. Shulman’s teams were particularly strong on the glass as the Mocs finished in the top-three in the conference in both offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding in each of his nine seasons at the helm, and in eight of those nine years, Chattanooga finished in the top three in rebounding margin. During his nine-year tenure at Chattanooga, Shulman mentored 18 players who would eventually play professionally, and his squads also featured 11 All-Southern Conference performers and 10 Southern Conference All-Tournament selections. Shulman’s recruiting record speaks for itself as he brought to the Mocs four of the top 10 scorers, three of the top 10 shot blockers, four of the top 10 rebounders, five of the top 15 in field goals, and each of the top five best 3-point makers in program history. Additionally, Shulman coached nine of the top 23 1,000-point scorers in Moc history. Prior to taking over the top spot at Chattanooga, Shulman served as the team’s associate head coach from 2002 to 2004, and that came after stints as an assistant at each of Wofford, Tennessee Tech, and East Tennessee State. Shulman earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in physical education from ETSU in 1989 and 1992, respectively. Shulman is married to his wife Amy, and they have three sons Max, Tanner, and JC.

Brock Widders joined the Central Arkansas Bears men's basketball program in 2017–18 and has played an integral role in its rise. Since his arrival, he has contributed across recruiting, academics, scouting, player development, and basketball operations. He currently serves as Associate Head Coach and General Manager. Early in his tenure Widders was part of a record-breaking 2017–18 season, during which the Bears recorded the second-most conference wins in the programs Division I history and secured their first Division I postseason victory. The following season, the team made its third consecutive Southland Conference tournament appearance—another program milestone. Widders took over as recruiting coordinator during a pivotal stretch for the program, helping secure key in-state additions such as 4-star transfer Darious Hall and standout guard Camren Hunter. Their impact helped lead the Bears to a third-place finish in the ASUN West Division and a conference tournament victory. Hunter later earned ASUN Freshman of the Year honors for the 2021–22 season, followed by ASUN Player of the year honors for the 2025-26 season. Widely recognized as a dominant recruiter with a strong emphasis on in-state talent, Widders has led efforts to bring in notable players including Javion Guy-King (4-Star prospect), Tucker Anderson (2023–24 ASUN Freshman of the Year), Layne Taylor (2024–25 All-Freshman Team), Ty Robinson (2025–26 All-Freshman Team and All-Conference), as well as Luke Moore and Elias Cato. During the 2022–23 season, Widders stepped in as Acting Head Coach for the final 16 games, earning notable road victories at Queens University and Florida Gulf Coast.  Following that season, he was selected as one of 46 NCAA coaches to attend the 2023 NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis. In 2024, Head Coach John Shulman elevated Widders to Associate Head Coach along with turning over general manager duties to him. Just one year later, the 2025–26 Bears captured the ASUN Regular Season Championship, winning 22 games and advancing to the ASUN Tournament Finals. The team posted a 15–3 conference record, highlighted by an 11-game winning streak, and featured a roster built heavily on in-state talent, including four of five starters. From 2021–2024, Widders also served as Associate Head Coach for Team Arkansas in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), helping guide the team to two Sweet 16 appearances. A native of Alma, Widders began his coaching journey after a successful playing career at Lyon College. A four-year team captain, he earned recognition on the AMC Champions of Character Team (2017), AMC Academic All-Conference Team (2016–17), and as an NABC Good Works Team nominee. He ranks eighth in program history in both career assists and single-season free-throw percentage. As a decorated Arkansas prep player, Widders played under Coach Stan Flenor andhelped Alma High School to a 5A State Championship his sophomore year and back to he 5A State Championship game his senior year. He played in the Arkansas High School Coaches; Association All-Star Game at UCA's Farris Center in the summer of 2013.  Widders earned his bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in physical education from Lyon College in 2017 and completed a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Central Arkansas in 2020. He is married to Bobie Jo Widders, a family physician at Banister-Lieblong Clinic in Conway.

Max Shulman joined the University of Central Arkansas men’s basketball program in 2024. Before joining UCA, Shulman was a part of one of the most successful Division 2 programs in the country, Alabama Huntsville. As a coach during the 2023-24 season, he helped lead the Chargers to an NCAA tournament appearance. As a player at UAH, Shulman had a standout five-year career, contributing to two Gulf South Conference regular season championships and two conference tournament titles. Shulman helped UAH earn a bid to NCAA tournament every year during his tenure as a player. Shulman finished his career as the all-time leader in 3 pointers made in UAH program history. During his time as a player, the team complied a record of 115-37 and 76% winning percentage.

Montgomery joined the University of Central Arkansas men’s basketball program in 2024. Montgomery played critical a role in the development of the front court last season at UCA. He worked closely with freshman Nehemiah Turner. Nehemiah’s hard work on the court showed late season in an eruptive 37 point and 11 rebound a game versus Stetson in the ASUN quarterfinals. Before joining UCA, Montgomery was an assistant coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University for two seasons. The Sailfish recorded back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003-05. The Sailfish posted their second-highest team winning percentage in PBA's d2-era. In his first season with the Sailfish, Montgomery helped PBA finish with a record over .500 in the 2022-23 season. Montgomery help PBA's big men Jalen Cooper and Jakob Hester achieve breakout seasons. Cooper earned the program's first SSC Defensive Player of the Year award and led the 'Fish with 17 points per game. Hester finished third on the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. He recorded the first triple-double in PBA history against Eckerd in 2022. In 2021, Montgomery returned to his alma mater, Lee University, as a graduate assistant. In his role with the Flames, he coached on the floor as well as administrative duties that included booking hotels, creating scouting reports, recruiting, and ordering meals for a Flames team that went 19-9. After his collegiate career, Montgomery played a year professionally in Iceland and Portugal before returning home to begin his coaching career. A 2020 graduate from Lee University, where he received a degree in Digital Media Communication, Montgomery was a four-year member of the basketball program. During Montgomery’s senior year, he was All Gulf South Conference First Team, averaged 18 points per game and helped lead Lee to their first NCAA tournament appearance in the Division 2 era. Montgomery coached for Pro Skills Basketball in the summer of his junior and senior year of college. He played a critical role in planning practices, in-game management, and skill development.