Head Coach: Ryan Cherepkai
Ryan Cherepkai
begins his third
season as the
Lindenwood men’s
basketball head
coach.
The 2005-2006
season was an
excellent rookie
campaign for
Cherepkai, as
many records
were broken on
the way to their
Final Four
appearance in
Point Lookout,
Mo.
- School
record for
wins with 26
-
First-ever
HAAC
Championship
- Second
NAIA
National
Tournament
appearance
- Longest
winning
streak: nine
games
- Highest
National
Ranking: #4
- Most
consecutive
weeks ranked
in NAIA
National
Poll: 10
- NAIA
Final Four
- Three
consecutive
years rated
in NAIA
National
Poll.
For these
accomplishments
in his first
season at the
helm, Cherepkai
was named the
2005-2006 Heart
of America
Athletic
Conference Coach
of the Year.
Cherepkai has
coached five
all-conference
selections,
three NAIA
All-Americans
(including one
first-team
selection), as
well as one NAIA
All-Tournament
selection at the
national
tournament. In
addition to
these
accomplishments,
two of his
former players
are playing
professionally
in Europe in
Dustin Bevard
(Sheffield
Arrows, English
Basketball
League) and
Johnny Viehland
(BBC US
Hiefenech,
Luxembourg).
Prior to
being named the
head coach at
Lindenwood,
Cherepkai was an
assistant coach
at the school
for three
seasons. He was
the driving
force in
recruiting, and
had other
responsibilities
such as on the
floor coaching
and game
preparation.
Cherepkai also
coached at his
alma mater,
Roxana High
School, helping
the Shells to
win a conference
and regional
championship in
2000.
In addition
to coaching at
the high school
level, Cherepkai
was the founder
and head coach
of the Illinois
Blue Devils
Basketball Club,
a successful AAU
basketball
program that
many Lions such
as Johnny
Viehland, Justin
Shrake, Ryan
Brown, Dustin
Bevard, Dustin
Shoemaker and
Zach Miller played for
during their
prep days.
Before entering
the coaching
field, Cherepkai
was an
All-Mississippi
Valley
Conference
selection for
Coach Greg Leib
at Roxana High
School. After
high school,
Cherepkai played
at Florissant
Valley Community
College for
Hall-of-Fame
Coach Larry
Graham (current
Lions assistant
coach) and at
Southern
Illinois
University at
Edwardsville for
Coach Jack
Margenthaler.
Cherepkai
received his
bachelor of
science in
Kinesiology from
SIU-Edwardsville
in 2002, and his
masters of
education in
Teaching from
Lindenwood in
2004.
At Lindenwood
In addition to coaching the Men’s Basketball team, Cherepkai is employed as a Full-Time Admissions and Financial Aid Counselor, teaching three classes in the Physical Education Division, and is a recruiting assistant to the
men's and
women's bowling program
and cycling
programs.
Assistant Coach: Larry Graham
Director of Basketball Operations
Veteran Coach Larry Graham brings great experience and success to the Lindenwood basketball program. Coach “G” has won at many levels. Most notably:
• Inducted into Illinois & Missouri Coaches Hall of Fame
• Named as one of the 100 Legends in Illinois High School Tournament History
• Two state championships at Madison, Illinois High School
• Two NCAA II births, resulting in Sweet Sixteen appearances at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Seventh place finish in the National Tournament at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley
• School records for wins at all three schools and first time tournament success at the three schools.
Graham has won several “Coach of the Year” awards, most recently being named Conference Coach of the Year while at Flo Valley in the 2003/2004 season. Coach is also teaching in the physical education department at LU.
Graham, an Indiana native, is married to Karen Graham and has 4 children, Nita, Gina, Steve, and Mark.
Assistant
Coach: Marshall
Newman
Strength and
Conditioning
Marshall Newman
begins his
second season at
Lindenwood
University after
a stellar rookie
coaching
campaign,
helping the
Lions reach the
NAIA Final Four.
Newman completed
his All-St.
Louis
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Conference
senior campaign
as a forward for
Webster
University in
2005. Prior to
playing at
Webster, Newman
was an
all-conference
performer at
Illinois Central
College, where
he averaged 13
points and 6
rebounds per
game. A native
of St. Louis and
a 2000 graduate
of Lindbergh
High School,
Newman graduated
from WU in May
of 2005 with a
degree in media
communications,
and is
completing a
Masters of Arts
in Teaching at
Lindenwood
University.
Coach Cherepkai
on Marshall
Newman: “Coach
Newman will
manage the
preseason
conditioning
program, help in
perimeter player
development,
scouting, and on
floor coaching
for the Lions.
I’ve known
Marshall for
years, and he is
very basketball
savvy and has a
great mind for
the game. Being
that he is
younger and in
much more
basketball shape
than the rest of
us, he will be
able to get out
on the court and
demonstrate
exactly what we
want to the
players. We are
very excited
about his
ongoing
commitment to
our program’s
excellence!”
