Carson Cunningham

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carson Cunningham
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
TeamArmy
ConferencePatriot League
Biographical details
Born (1977-05-07) May 7, 1977 (age 46)
Ogden Dunes, Indiana, U.S.
Alma materPurdue University
Playing career
1996–1997Oregon State
1998–2001Purdue
2001–2002Gary Steelheads
2002–2003Rockford Lightning
2002–2003Kalev/Cramo
2004–2005Rockford Lightning
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2007–2013Andrean HS
2013–2018Carroll (MT)
2018–2023Incarnate Word
2023–presentArmy (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall149–155 (.490) {college}
Tournaments5–3 (NAIA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Frontier Conference (2016–17, 2017–18)
Frontier Conference Tourney (2016–17, 2017–18)

Carson Cunningham (born May 7, 1977) is an American basketball coach and author who is currently an assistant coach for the Army Black Knights basketball team. He is the former head coach of the Incarnate Word Cardinals men's basketball team.[1][2]

Playing career[edit]

Cunningham was a standout basketball player at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, where he was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time first team all-area selection, as well as first team all-state selection and USA Today honorable mention All-American as a senior.[3]

Playing his freshman season of college basketball at Oregon State, Cunningham averaged 14.9 points per game, earning a place on the 1997 Pacific 10 All-Freshman team.[4] Cunningham would transfer back to the state of Indiana, enrolling at Purdue to play under Gene Keady and was part of the Boilermakers 1999 Sweet 16 and 2000 Elite Eight squads.

Upon graduation, Cunningham played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Gary Steelheads and Rockford Lightning from 2001 to 2005, while also playing abroad in Australia and Estonia.[5] While in Estonia, he led his club (Kalev/Cramo in scoring (21.5 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg).[6]

Coaching career[edit]

Cunningham got his start in coaching at the high school ranks, taking the helm of his alma mater, Andrean High School for five seasons, where he compiled an 81–39 record, winning four sectional championships before accepting the head coaching position at NAIA institution Carroll College in Montana.[7]

At Carroll, Cunningham inherited a Fighting Saints team that had won just two games, and in five seasons amassed a 107–52 record, including three-straight 20-win seasons, and two Frontier Conference men's basketball regular season and tournament titles, along with three trips to NAIA Men's Basketball Championships, and two quarterfinal appearances.[8]

Cunningham was named head coach at NCAA Division I institution Incarnate Word on March 22, 2018.[1] Following five straight losing seasons as head coach, Incarnate Word fired Cunningham in 2023.[9]

After his dismissal from Incarnate Word, Cunningham became an assistant coach for the Army Black Knights basketball team.[10]

Published works[edit]

Cunningham is the author of five books, which range from fiction to non-fiction on topics such as Olympic basketball, his experiences in the CBA, athletes who died in combat, the Chicago Cubs, and modern reimagining of Huckleberry Finn.[5][11][12][13]

Head coaching record[edit]

NAIA[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Carroll Fighting Saints (Frontier Conference) (2013–2018)
2013–14 Carroll 9–19[14] 4–12 N/A
2014–15 Carroll 18–11[15] 7–7 4th
2015–16 Carroll 23–10[16] 12–5 2nd NAIA Division I Elite Eight
2016–17 Carroll 29–6[17] 15–3 1st NAIA Division I Elite Eight
2017–18 Carroll 28–6[18] 13–5 1st NAIA Division I Second Round
Carroll College: 107–52 (.673) 51–32 (.614)
Total: 107–52 (.673)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA Div I[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Incarnate Word Cardinals (Southland Conference) (2018–present)
2018–19 Incarnate Word 6–25 1–17 13th
2019–20 Incarnate Word 9–22 6–14 10th
2020–21 Incarnate Word 8–14 5–9 8th
2021–22 Incarnate Word 7–25 3–11 8th
2022–23 Incarnate Word 12–19 6–12 T–8th
Incarnate Word: 42–105 (.286) 21–63 (.250)
Total: 42–105 (.286)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "UIW Athletics Tabs Cunningham as Men's Basketball Head Coach – University of the Incarnate Word". University of the Incarnate Word.
  2. ^ "Carson Cunningham Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  3. ^ "Carson Cunningham Bio :: Purdue University :: Official Athletic Site".
  4. ^ "Carson Cunningham College Stats - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  5. ^ a b "Carroll College Athletics – 2015–16 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff". carrollathletics.com.
  6. ^ "Kalev/Cramo Roster, Schedule, Stats (2002-2003)".
  7. ^ Hanlon, Steve. "Andrean's Cunningham hired to coach at Montana college".
  8. ^ "Carroll Men Capture Second Straight Frontier Conference Tournament Crown". 5 March 2018.
  9. ^ https://www.expressnews.com/sports/colleges/utsa/article/uiw-fires-carson-cunningham-17891700.php
  10. ^ "Head Coach Kevin Kuwik Announces Men's Basketball Staff".
  11. ^ "Carroll College coach pens book to honor athletes who died for their country". 25 October 2017.
  12. ^ Nieto, Mike (23 September 2014). "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Cunningham authors another book".
  13. ^ "Carson Cunningham – Diversion Books". www.diversionbooks.com.
  14. ^ "2013–14 Men's Basketball Schedule". Carroll College Athletes.
  15. ^ "2014–15 Men's Basketball Schedule". Carroll College Athletes.
  16. ^ "2015–16 Men's Basketball Schedule". Carroll College Athletes.
  17. ^ "2016–17 Men's Basketball Schedule". Carroll College Athletes.
  18. ^ "2017–18 Men's Basketball Schedule". Carroll College Athletes.
Flag of United StatesBiography icon

This biographical article relating to a United States basketball coach is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carson_Cunningham&oldid=1220913678"