University of North Alabama Men's Basketball

Updated: June 1, 2025 Tony Pujol was hired as UNA's head men's basketball coach on April 2, 2018. He enters his eighth season in 2025-26. Pujol has been one of the key pillars in UNA's move to Division I in 2018, as he is the first and only Division I coach for the UNA men's basketball program. The upward trajectory of the program since his hire has been evident, as the men's basketball team won the school's first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship in any sport during the 2024-25 season.  In the 2024-25 season, Pujol's squad finished with a 24-11 record and a 14-4 record in conference play. The Lions won a share of the ASUN Regular Season Championship, won both the ASUN Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds in front of two sellout crowds at CB&S Bank Arena, and advanced to the ASUN Championship Game for the second time in seven seasons. Despite falling in the championship to Lipscomb, UNA earned an at-large bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time in school history. For his efforts, Pujol was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award in 2025, which is awarded to the top coach in mid-major basketball. In his seven seasons, Pujol has won 102 games, coached six all-conference selections, two winners of the ASUN Freshman of the Year, one winner each of the ASUN Newcomer and Sixth Man of the Year, a Lou Henson Award Finalist and an NABC All-District player in the same district as multiple SEC programs.  The Lions have been a tough beat at home since Pujol's arrival, owning a 64-28 record inside CB&S Bank Arena over the last seven seasons. UNA finished 14-1 at home in 2024-25, including a perfect 11-0 record against conference opponents in both the regular season and postseason. Pujol originally came to UNA after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming. Pujol also served as an assistant basketball coach at Appalachian State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Alabama before taking a position at Wyoming in 2016. He became just the seventh head coach in the 88-year history of the UNA’s men’s basketball program. He has over two decades of collegiate coaching experience. In 2022-23, Pujol led the Lions to their highest win total since 2013-14 with an 18-15 record. The Lions also competed in their first NCAA Division I postseason game with an appearance in the CBI Tournament in Florida. He followed that with a 15-17 record in 2023-24 against a tougher schedule with four Power Four opponents, but led the Lions to the ASUN Semifinal Round after a thrilling tournament win over Lipscomb at the buzzer. The buzzer shot made by KJ Johnson officially started March Madness, made national headlines and was the top play on SportsCenter and Scott Van Pelt's "Best Thing I Saw Today." In seven seasons at North Alabama, Pujol has led the Lions to the ASUN Conference Tournament every year, including a berth in the championship game in 2021 and a semifinal run in 2024. During his tenure, UNA has had 12 all-conference selections, including five on the league's All-Freshman Team and two All-Academic picks. Pujol led North Alabama through its transition to NCAA Division I basketball. Since making the move, which included membership in the ASUN Conference at the start of the 2018-19 season, UNA improved its record each of the first three years. The Lions posted a 10-22 record during their first Division I season, earning a No. 6 seed in the ASUN Tournament with a 7-9 league record after being picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll. Pujol followed with a three-win improvement in the second year and a No. 5 seed in the conference tourney. Mervin James was also named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team. In the 2020-21 campaign, North Alabama secured its first winning record at the Division I level, posting a 13-10 mark that included a postseason run. After earning a No. 5 seed, UNA won consecutive ASUN tournament games, knocking off North Florida 68-60 and FGCU 96-81 to earn a spot in the championship against top-seeded Liberty. The Lions held a late lead before falling 79-75.  Payton Youngblood and James earned all-tournament honors. Youngblood later added ASUN All-Academic and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors to his resume while James was a second team all-conference pick. Detalian Brown was also named to the league's All-Freshman Team. UNA had several standout performances during its inaugural Division I season, including Jamari Blackmon being named the ASUN Freshman of the Year and Christian Agnew also being named to the league's All-Freshman team. Under Pujol, UNA secured the program's first-ever Division I victory with a 72-59 home on over Blue Mountain on Nov. 10, at Flowers Hall. On Jan. 8, Florida Gulf Coast became the first Division I opponent to fall. The 61-56 home victory over FGCU also represented the Lions' first-ever win in ASUN Conference play. A road game against seventh-ranked Gonzaga, the renewal of the home-and-home rivalry series with Jacksonville State and a No. 2 finish on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 Plays were among the other first-season highlights for Pujol and the UNA program. Pujol helped lead Wyoming to a 20-13 record in 2017-18. In 2016-17, Pujol helped lead the Cowboys to the College Basketball Invitational Championship. The Cowboys finished the season 23-15 overall with a 19-3 home record. Pujol helped mentor Mountain West Sixth Man Justin James, as he also was named the Most Valuable Player of the CBI. Junior Forward Hayden Dalton also received Honorable-Mention All-Mountain West honors. The Cowboys set a school and MW record with 369 three-pointers last season. Pujol coached collegiately at Alabama for five seasons from 2010-2014 under head coach Anthony Grant. Pujol helped the Crimson Tide compile a 99-71 record during his time on the staff, including three-straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 1990-92. Alabama earned two NIT bids and one NCAA bid from 2011-13 and finished runner-up in the NIT in 2011.  That 2010-11 Crimson Tide team featured one of the toughest defenses in the nation, as Alabama surrendered only 59.4 points per game, the eighth-lowest average in the nation. Alabama's tenacious defense helped it go 19-0 at home during that season.   On the recruiting trail, he helped the Tide land a 2011 recruiting class that Rivals.com ranked as the fifth best in the nation with four prospects ranked in the top 100 nationally. After the 2013-14 season, Pujol stepped away from collegiate coaching to dedicated more time to his family and has coached the last year and a half in the AAU ranks in New Jersey.   Previously, Pujol served under Grant at VCU from 2006-09 with Edwards. The staff guided the Rams to a 76-25 record in those three seasons, including 45-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association. VCU won three conference regular-season titles and two tournament titles in that span to play in the NCAA tournament twice and NIT once. Two Rams from that team, Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders, would go on to be selected in the NBA draft.   Pujol joined Grant's staff after two seasons at Appalachian State from 2004-06, where he helped the Mountaineers win the Southern Conference North Division in 2005. The team also earned the NCAA's Public Recognition Award based on the program's APR. His recruits would help ASU win a school-record 25 games the season after he left.   Prior to his collegiate career, Pujol was a high school coach in south Florida for 13 seasons, including nine at Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, where he posted a 250-46 record with state titles in 1999, 2003 and 2004.   He graduated from Sterling College (Kansas) in 1989 with a degree in business administration and was a standout in both basketball and baseball, earning all-conference honors on the diamond in his final three seasons. Tony and his wife, Mayle, have three daughters, Kasey, Kristen and Mia. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING "Tony Pujol is a first class human being and coach. The University of North Alabama is getting ready to be touched by a winner on and off the court."         --    Frank Martin, Head Basketball Coach, UMass "Tony Pujol is an outstanding basketball coach, strategic planner and relationship builder. He will be a perfect fit for UNA on campus, in the community and in the transition to ASUN competition."         --    Anthony Grant, Head Basketball Coach, University of Dayton "Tony is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to win at a high level. He will have a tremendous impact on the student-athletes and athletics department at the University of North Alabama, as well as the community of Florence."         --    Allen Edwards, Assistant Basketball Coach, UMass "Tony is a great hire by UNA. He was one of my favorite people when he was at Alabama. I'm confident the people in the Shoals are going to love him."         --    Patrick Murphy, Head Softball Coach, University of Alabama "North Alabama has made a great hire in Tony Pujol. I am excited for him to have this opportunity to be the head basketball coach. Coach Pujol will be a great leader and mentor for the student-athletes and will do great things for the Lions' basketball program."         --    Shane Lyons, Executive Deputy Director of Athletics, COO, University of Alabama "Congratulations to North Alabama on the hiring of Tony Pujol! Having known Coach Pujol for 18 years, I've always been impressed with his work ethic, his commitment to his players and his ability to recruit talented student-athletes. With his wealth of experience, excellent basketball knowledge and incredible family, he will do a tremendous job leading the North Alabama program forward."         --    Matt McMahon, Head Basketball Coach, LSU "Tony is a first class coach who can recruit, coach and be a great ambassador of the Lions. He has tremendous passion and his teams will play with focus. He did a tremendous job at VCU and was instrumental in building the foundation for VCU's success. Good days are ahead for UNA basketball."         --    Dr. Richard Sander, Director of Athletics, East Tennessee State University Year-By-Year - Coach Tony Pujol Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason 2018–19 North Alabama 10–22 7–9 6th 2019–20 North Alabama 13–17 8–8 5th 2020–21 North Alabama 13–11 7–8 5th 2021–22 North Alabama 9–21 2–14 6th (West) 2022–23 North Alabama 18–15 10–8 6th CBI First Round 2023–24 North Alabama 15–17 8–8 6th 2024–25 North Alabama 24-11 14-4 T1st NIT First Round North Alabama: 102–114 (.472) 56–59 (.487) Total: 102–114 (.472)

Ahmad Smith joined Tony Pujol's coaching staff as an assistant coach on June 1, 2018. He was elevated to Associate Head Coach at UNA in March of 2023. He enters his eighth season on the North Alabama staff and his third as Associate Head Coach in 2025-26. Prior to UNA, he served as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Charleston Southern. Smith has played a valuable role in UNA's success over the first seven seasons of the Division I era, helping head coach Tony Pujol build a yearly contender in the Atlantic Sun Conference.  In the 2024-25 season, Smith helped the Lions finish with a 24-11 record and a 14-4 record in conference play. The Lions won a share of the ASUN Regular Season Championship, won both the ASUN Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds in front of two sellout crowds at CB&S Bank Arena, and advanced to the ASUN Championship Game for the second time in seven seasons. Despite falling in the championship to Lipscomb, UNA earned an at-large bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time in school history. In seven seasons at North Alabama, Smith has helped the Lions reached the ASUN Conference Tournament each year. During his tenure, UNA has had 15 all-conference selections, including six on the league's All-Freshman Team and two All-Academic picks. While working with the post players, Smith has also coached the ASUN's leading rebounder three times over seven seasons, including 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2024-25. Under Smith's front-court leadership, UNA was one of two NCAA Division I schools in 2025 to have two players with 300 or more rebounds, joining Sweet Sixteen participant Maryland. UNA's two top rebounders were Corneilous Williams (317) and Taye Fields (300), who both ranked among the top 50 rebounders in the country. In 2019, Smith was invited to participate in the TopConnect Virtual Seminar, which identifies the top basketball assistant coaches in the country. Smith, a 2004 Appalachian State graduate, was an integral part of one of the best stretches in Charleston Southern history as an assistant coach during his seven years on staff. A former player and coach at Appalachian State, Smith helped CSU go 19-12 in 2011-12 and the Buccaneers won their first Big South Tournament game since 2006. CSU again ranked among the Big South's best rebounding teams in 2013-14, tallying a nearly +3.0 margin on the glass. CSU won its second Big South regular season title in three years in 2014-15, and advanced to the NIT. The Bucs put together the winningest regular season in the program's 50-year history thanks in part to its ability to rebound the basketball. CSU ranked 2nd in the Big South in both rebounding margin and offensive rebounds, and was 20th nationally in the latter category with Smith as posts coach. Smith was promoted to the role of Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Charleston Southern in August of 2015. Smith returned to college coaching after spending three years in several capacities, including that of head coach, in Ireland. Smith went to CSU from Dublin, Ireland, where he honed his coaching skills from 2008 on. Most recently, Smith served as the technical director for the Templeogue Basketball Club. He was also the head basketball coach for the Men's Division I, U17 and U18 teams. In 2011, the Division I men's team finished fifth, improving five spots from the year before Smith's arrival. Prior to that, Smith was the head men's and women's basketball coach at Institute of Technology Tallaght College in Dublin, finished as the 2011 women's team champions and the 2011 men's team runners-up. He holds a career 74-45 record as a head coach, including time with the Colaiste Eanna High School U19 Boys (2009-2011), and the Shamrock Rovers Hoops Professional Superleague, where he coached from August 2008 to March 2010. Before leaving for Ireland, Smith was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University from 2004-08, helping lead the Mountaineers to a school-record 25 wins in 2006-07, a North Division regular season SoCon Championship in 2008 and a San Juan Shootout Tournament championship in 2007. As a player, Smith spent two years at Cedar Valley Junior College, earning NJCAA All-American honors while leading his team to an NJCAA National Championship in 2001. He earned the school's student-athlete award and earned multiple conference honors, including all-conference and freshman of the year honors, before moving on to play two years for the Mountaineers in the Southern Conference. He and his wife, Teresa, have a son, Tristan.

On April 2, 2026, University of North Alabama men's basketball head coach Tony Pujol made a splash with the addition of Drew Stutts as an assistant coach. Stutts is a Florence native and played locally at Mars Hill Bible School and Northwest Shoals Community College before finishing his career at UNA in 2011.   The former Lion has enjoyed tremendous success as a head coach since leaving the Shoals, spending a few years leading in-state programs at the high school level before accepting the head coaching job at Freed-Hardeman University in 2019.   In eight seasons leading Freed-Hardeman, Stutts finished with an impressive record of 174-52. In two of the last three seasons, the Lions finished No. 1 overall in the national rankings and won the NAIA National Championship. Stutts and company returned to Henderson, Tenn. with a red banner in 2023-24 and 2025-26.   "This is a special moment for North Alabama Basketball," said Pujol at the time of hire. "Drew Stutts is highly regarded in the Shoals community and is a well-respected basketball coach. What he accomplished as a national championship head coach at the NAIA level speaks volumes about his ability to build a winning culture, develop players and lead at a high level. Just as important, he understands this area. His ties to the Shoals and his love for UNA make this a perfect fit. Our program will benefit immediately from Drew's experience, energy and passion for North Alabama."   In 2025, Stutts led Freed-Hardeman to the greatest season in program history. FHU finished with a 35-1 record while winning the Mid-South Conference with a 12-0 record. The Lions defeated Campbellsville and Bethel to win the Mid-South Conference Tournament, then won six more games en route to the 2026 NAIA National Championship. On March 24, just over a week ago, FHU defeated Langston 76-71 in the championship final in Kansas City, Mo.   In 2024-25, the Lions finished 30-6 and made it to the NAIA Fab Four, falling in the national semifinals. The season prior, FHU celebrated its first national championship in 2023-24 with a 32-7 overall record and a 10-2 record in league play for a share of the Mid-South regular season championship.   In his first season at FHU in 2019-20, Stutts and the Lions won more games than the previous two years combined. The team finished with 18 wins and ranked among the top five teams in the nation in three-pointers per game (10.89). He built on that success with winning records in all eight seasons at the helm.   Before his final season at FHU, Stutts had coached four All-Americans, 10 All-Conference players, the 2022-23 MSC Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Freshman of the Year.   Stutts is the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in program history.   While it was a difficult decision to leave, Stutts said he was excited to return to his alma mater.   "I'm beyond excited to be joining the UNA basketball program," said Stutts at the time of hire. "I want to sincerely thank athletic director Dr. Josh Looney and head coach Tony Pujol for this incredible opportunity. Coming back home to the Shoals to coach at my and my wife Amanda's alma mater is truly a dream come true. I know without a doubt that God has had His hand in every step of this journey. I can't wait to get to work — bringing everything I've learned as the head coach at Freed-Hardeman University and helping build on the championship-level success Coach Pujol and his staff have established. The best is yet to come, and I'm fired up to be a part of it!"   Stutts graduated from UNA in 2011 with a degree in physical education. That degree was put to great use, as he began his coaching career immediately after college as an assistant coach at Mars Hill, where he helped lead the team to a 104-28 overall record and two AHSAA tournament semifinal appearances.   From 2011 to 2014, Stutts was the athletic director and head basketball coach at Corner School in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by being the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach at Hewitt Trussville High School from 2014 to 2017. Before becoming head coach at Freed-Hardeman, Stutts was the head coach at Chester County, where he led the program to a 19-10 record and its first appearance in the Region Semifinals since 2004. The Eagles averaged 73 points per game in his one year at the helm, which was in the top 10 in the state of Tennessee for scoring average.   His wife, Amanda, is a nursing clinical instructor, and they have two sons, Roman and Deacon, and a daughter, Parker.

UNA head coach Tony Pujol announced the addition of former student-athlete Will Soucie to the coaching staff on April 6, 2026. His role is focused on coaching and player development.  One of the most prominent Lions in recent history, Soucie has played in more Division I games than any other UNA player with 151 appearances over five seasons. He began his career in 2020-21 and went on to set the Division I career games record in 2023-24. Soucie returned for a fifth-year in 2024-25 and led UNA to an unprecedented season that included a 24-11 record, an Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship and the school's first invite to the NIT. This capped off a five-year run for UNA that also included two appearances in the ASUN Championship Final and the program's first Division I postseason appearance in the CBI. "Will Soucie embodies everything our program stands for," said Pujol at the time of hire. "As one of the players who helped lay the foundation during our transition to Division I at University of North Alabama, he was instrumental in establishing the culture and toughness that continues to drive us today. Will was a vocal leader who wasn't afraid to hold himself and his teammates accountable, and he backed it up every day with the way he competed on the court. We're excited to welcome him back home and know his passion for this program and his leadership will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes." Originally from Califon, New Jersey, Soucie moved to Florence in 2020 to play for Pujol and his staff. He played in 21 games as a rookie, including three starts. He played in all 30 games as a sophomore with nine starts, averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He became a full-time starter his junior season, starting all 33 games with 8.0 PPG. Showing improvement every year, Soucie's final two seasons were his best. He played in all 32 games with 27 starts in 2023-24, averaging 7.1 PPG overall and 9.0 PPG in ASUN play. He started all 35 games as a senior on the regular season championship team, scoring 10.4 PPG and reaching double digit scoring figures 20 times. He achieved career-highs in scoring, rebounding and free throw shooting as a fifth-year senior. For his career, Soucie finished with 1,124 points to rank 21st on the all-time career scoring list at UNA. He scored his 1,000th point in a home win over Central Arkansas that season, joining Jacari Lane and Daniel Ortiz as three active players on the 1,000 point list. They were the first trio to play together as 1,000 point scorers at UNA since 1971. "I am incredibly grateful and honored to return to the University of North Alabama as an assistant coach for the men's basketball program," said Soucie at the time of hire. "I want to sincerely thank Dr. (Josh) Looney, Coach (Tony) Pujol, and Coach (Ahmad) Smith for the opportunity to come back home and be part of this special program once again. The five seasons I spent at UNA as a student athlete truly changed my life. During that time, I became part of a basketball program, university and community that grew into my family and home. The memories, experiences and relationships I built in Florence are things I will cherish for the rest of my life and am thankful to be reconnected with. "To return now as a coach is more than a blessing —it's an incredible opportunity to represent the Lions once again and give back to a place that means so much to me. I am fired up to be working every day to help continue the growth of our men's basketball program, bringing more championships to the university we all love while creating lasting memories for our student athletes and community. I'm truly thankful to be back home and proud to represent the Lions for another great run. Roar Lions!"

Cam Madding joined the UNA strength & conditioning staff in June 2026 as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. He will primarily work with the men's basketball program under head coach Tony Pujol. Madding comes to the Shoals from Freed-Hardeman University, where he was a successful baseball student-athlete and later went on to become a graduate assistant in the strength & conditioning program and as an assistant baseball coach. While there, he worked with current UNA assistant men's basketball coach Drew Stutts and his national championship program at FHU. Madding became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in 2026. He is skilled in performance enhancement, injury prevention and interdisciplinary collaboration. In the summer of 2025, he interned with Hybrid Strength & Performance, where he learned under certified strength & conditioning coaches in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Prior to Freed-Hardeman, he spent two seasons at Volunteer State Community College where he completed his associate degree. He graduated from Freed-Hardeman in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and began pursuing his master's degree in exercise science and rehabilitation in August 2025. As a student-athlete, Madding played three seasons as a first baseman and appeared in 136 games with 132 starts. He has a career batting average of .304 with 136 hits — 30 doubles, four triples and 12 homers. He drove in 83 runners with 81 runs scored. He also stole 25 bases in his career. He helped FHU finish with a 101-71-1 record over three seasons and made two appearances in the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Madding is originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and now resides in the Shoals.  

After spending four seasons as the head student manager for the men's basketball program, Jalen Patton was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations on August 19, 2024 by UNA head coach Tony Pujol. Patton enters his sixth season with the program in 2025-26, including his second season as the DOBO. He also serves as the team's video coordinator. Patton was a key factor in the program's success in 2024-25, helping the Lions win the school's first ASUN Regular Season Championship in any sport. The Lions finished 24-11 overall and 14-4 in conference play, tying with Lipscomb for the regular season championship. UNA went on to win two games in the ASUN Tournament, falling in the ASUN Championship Game. The Lions went on to receive a bid in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time in school history. The Fayette, Alabama native has served the program in many ways as a student manager that last four seasons, including assistance with film, equipment, practice statistics and meals, among other roles. Patton graduated from the University of North Alabama in August 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Sport & Recreation Management.