One of the most successful and respected coaches in the country, Belmont University men’s basketball head coach Rick Byrd has been a model of consistency in leading Belmonts transition from an NAIA institution to a perennial headliner and championship program in NCAA Division I.
Byrd‘s coaching career began in 1977 as a graduate assistant and his alma mater, the University of Tennessee.
Then after head-coaching stands at Maryville College and Lincoln Memorial University, and three seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University, Byrd became the head coach at Belmont in 1986.
In the 27 seasons that followed, Belmont reached new heights as a men’s basketball program. Byrd led Belmont to a National #1 ranking and consecutive NAIA Final Four appearances in 1995 and 96, before the program transition into NCAA Division I.
Under Byrd, Belmont has reached postseason play in eight of the last 10 seasons, including NCAA Tournament appearances in six of the last eight years. With the 2013 OVC Tournament title, Belmont joined the exclusive company of Kansas and Memphis as the only programs in the nation to earn six NCAA Tournament automatic bids in the last eight years.
But of even greater significance to Byrd, Belmont joined Kansas and Notre Dame as the only three programs in the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship with perfect graduation rates and perfect academic progress rate scores.
Byrd has received the NCAA Bob Frederick award for his life long commitment to sportsmanship ethical conduct and fair play. Byrd ranks sixth among all active NCAA Men’s Division I coaches in wins with 731, and is first among all active non Power 5 coaches. Among many career accomplishments, Byrd has been National Coach of the Year in NCAA Division I and NAIA, named district or conference Coach of the Year 11 times, and member of that NAIA Hall of Fame, Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and Belmont University Athletic Hall of Fame.