LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern University Director of Athletics Drew Watson announced the hiring of Kevin Lubbers as the head coach of the Fire men’s basketball team on Tuesday.
Lubbers spent the past season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where he helped the Mountain Lions go 17-12 overall and 14-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Prior to UCCS, Lubbers was the head coach at Colorado Christian University where his team won two NCCAA National Championships and he was named the 2017 NCCAA National Coach of the Year.
“Kevin rose to the top of a highly-qualified field of applicants due to his commitment to excellence in all phases of the student-athlete experience and his track record of not only building and sustaining winning programs, but his investment in people,” said Watson. “He and his family will be great additions to the Fire Family and I am excited to watch him continue the development of our men’s basketball program.”
Additionally, Lubbers served as the men’s basketball chair for the RMAC, and was the NABC Congress representative from the league. His teams were recipients of the NABC’s Team Honors Court four times.
“I want to thank Dr. Kent Ingle, Dr. Chris Owen, and Drew Watson for the exciting opportunity to lead men’s basketball into the next chapter,” said Lubbers. “My wife, Anne, and I along with our three kids are very excited to join the Fire family. This is a great time to be a part of Southeastern and the greater Lakeland community. Our program will work diligently to pursue all that God has gifted us to be and will invest fully in the process of growth required to achieve new heights on the court, in the classroom, on campus and in the community.”
Lubbers is no stranger to the NAIA, having played and coached at Trinity Christian College, leading the Trolls to a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season co-championship during the 2010-11 season, and was the league’s co-coach of the year. He was also an assistant at Trinity Christian for five seasons, winning the conference tournament twice.
No matter where he has coached, Lubbers has made service to their campus and community an integral part of the program. At Colorado Christian, his teams volunteered at the Denver Street School, Extreme Makeover Community Edition, Camp Barnabas, and Team IMPACT. His teams have also worked with Ronald McDonald House, Restoration Ministries, and a variety of other local charities.
Lubbers has volunteered with the Hoops for Hunger basketball camp designed to feed the hungry of Chicago, and has led basketball teams in the Dominican Republic with SCORE International.
Southeastern has made back-to-back appearances in the NAIA Division II National Championship Tournament, and posted a 20-10 record last season.