SAGU Announces New Men's Basketball Coach
Donnie Bostwick takes over SAGU Lions
WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- Turning the page in a promising new chapter of men’s college basketball, Southwestern Assemblies of God University announces Donnie Bostwick as the head coach of the Lions.
Coach Bostwick has spent the last four years as athletic director and head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan University (NAIA DII) where he compiled a record of 120-20. His teams qualified for the NAIA National tournament four years and were 2009 National Champions. He was named the NAIA DII Coach of the Year in 2009 & 2010.
After a ten-year stint as assistant coach at John Brown University in Arkansas, Bostwick took the reigns of an Oklahoma Wesleyan program coming off four consecutive 20-loss seasons. He led the Eagles to seasons of 26-8, 35-2, 30-5 and 29-5 during his four years in Bartlesville, qualifying for a berth in the NAIA national tournament each time.
His 2009 squad won the Division II national championship. The other three campaigns ended with trips to the Sweet 16, the Final Four and the Elite Eight. The NAIA Division II National Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons were OKWU Eagles. Steve Briggs, a guard, and forward Sadiel Rojas, both from nearby Duncanville, Texas, were recognized for their outstanding play under Bostwick’s leadership.
Introduced by President Bridges
Southwestern president and avid sports fan, Dr. Kermit Bridges, met with members of the Lions basketball team and shared the news with them on April 8.
Dr. Bridges’ stated "Coach Bostwick is arguably the most qualified coach we’ve ever hired, having reached championship status at every level as a player and coach, but it is his total commitment to the spiritual development of student-athletes that really stands out and makes him such a great addition to the university.”
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has 253 members, 115 in Division, of which Southwestern Assemblies is a member. Oklahoma Wesleyan is one of 138 constituents in D-2.
Donnie Bostwick’s Path to Waxahachie
Coach Bostwick’s coaching career began at Oklahoma’s Vinita High School, where the Class 4A Hornets racked up a 63-20 mark during his three years. The highlight came in 1995-96 season when Vinita advanced to the state championship game for the first time in school history. The runner-up Hornets had a 25-8 mark that year.
Bostwick was a two-time MVP as a player at John Brown (Siloam Springs, Ark), where his career .461 three-point shooting accuracy record still stands. He was twice named All-American by the National Christian College Athletic Association. The JBU Eagles (25-8) won the NCCAA national championship while he played a starring role.
During two seasons at Northeastern Junior College (Sterling, Colorado), the Plainsmen posted 21-8 and 19-9 records and Bostwick knocked down 63% of his three-point attempts.
Prior to college he garnered All-State honors at Class 4A Pryor High School (Okla). He was the first freshman starter in school history and went on to be named the MVP of the conference in which the Tigers competed.
Following graduation at John Brown University, Bostwick earned a Master’s degree at Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Ok). His major was in health and physical education.
Bostwick is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches where he serves on the NAIA-NABC board. He has been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Promise Keepers and taught a Sunday School class at Bartlesville First Assembly of God.
“Nothing is more important to me than having the opportunity to influence college-aged student-athletes in their own spiritual development,” Bostwick said recently. “My mission field is coaching and teaching. It ranks first among my (vocational) priorities.”
Bostwick and his wife Sheri have four children; Gunter (14), Paige (12), Kylie (8) and Kade (6). Sheri is an elementary school teacher. Their family were active members at First Assembly in Bartlesville, forty-one miles north of Tulsa.
About Southwestern
The SAGU Lions, who were 12-19 this past season, should return a solid core of players.
Junior guard Ronald Horne (Waco, Tx / Univ of North Texas, Waco HS) led the nation in scoring points (728 pts, 23.5 ppg), while sophomore Nathaniel Duce Ward (Waco, Tx / Connally HS) was the NAIA’s top rebounder (12.3 rpg). Junior guard Jared Gibson (Dallas, Tx / West Plano HS) was second nationally in three-point baskets (103, 3.3 3’s pg). The Lions lost eight games by less than ten points.
SAGU ranked in the Top 20 in seven categories: #4 in blocked shots per game (5.1). #5 in total blocks (159). #9 in free throw percentage (.723). #10 in three-point field goals made per game (8.2). #15 in threes made (256). #18 in scoring offense (79.8). #20 in defensive rebounds per game (26.9).
The Lions compete in the Red River Athletic Conference. With the addition of Houston’s University of St. Thomas in the fall, the RRAC will have 15 members from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico. The league had two teams ranked in the nation’s Top 5 at the end of the regular season (Texas Wesleyan University and LSU-Shreveport).
Southwestern plans to broadcast conference home games in high-definition again next season on SAGU Sports Live, the national leader in top-end, webcast productions. The current schedule of games to be aired will begin in January 2012 according to John Cookman, Director of Media Services.
Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director at 469-658-2847. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
