Former Lipscomb men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander will replace Rick Byrd as Belmont’s new men’s basketball coach.
Athletic Director Scott Corley announced Alexander’s hiring on Wednesday morning, only a week and a half after Byrd announced his retirement. Alexander is the 10th head coach in program history.
Alexander, who was inducted into the Belmont Hall of Fame in 2005, played for Belmont from 1992 to 1995 and spent 16 years as an assistant under Byrd prior to his head coaching career.
“Casey embodies everything we are looking for in our next head coach,” Corley said in a press release on Wednesday. “Firstly, he is a man of high character that will not take any shortcuts to success. Secondly, as a former player and assistant coach, he understands our core values and the approach that makes Belmont basketball so well respected nationally.”
During his six year tenure at Lipscomb, Alexander led the Bisons to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018. He held an Atlantic Sun Conference record of 59-31 and a record of 35-9 during the last three seasons, according to Belmont Athletics.
In 2019, he took the Bisons all the way to the National Invitational Tournament Final, losing to Texas 81-66.
“It’s an honor and a great privilege to have the opportunity to return to Belmont,” Alexander said in the press release. “I’m grateful that Dr. Fisher and Scott Corley believe I’m the right person to lead this incredibly successful program.”
Alexander’s deal is worth $4 million over five years, according to News Channel 5.
“I couldn’t be more pleased and grateful to welcome Casey back home to Belmont,” university President Dr. Robert Fisher said in the press release. “Casey was such an important part of our university as a student, basketball player and a member of our coaching team for many years.”
Alexander is excited to work with his alma mater but knows he has large shoes to fill.
“This will always be Coach Byrd’s program in my mind,” Alexander continued. “So nothing will motivate me more than to make him proud and honor his legacy. We have a history of sustained excellence at Belmont, and everything is in place to build upon recent successes and make new history.”
“We’re ready to get to work.”
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Photo courtesy of Belmont Athletics.