SAU Men’s Basketball Delivers Cottingham’s 400th Career Win

Spring Arbor University head men’s basketball coach Ryan Cottingham secured his 400th career win on Wednesday as the Cougars defeated Great Lakes Christian College 89-87 inside the McDonald Athletic Center. 

More than 1,000 Western School District students were on hand to cheer on the Cougars and witness the milestone victory in SAU’s first-ever Field Trip Game – an event created for 2nd-8th graders that would connect Spring Arbor with the Western community and get kids excited about basketball. Halftime games, campus tours (for the 8th graders), prizes and pizza capped off the 11 a.m. basketball game between SAU and GLCC. Events like this will expand and form more connections with other school districts in Jackson County.  

In his 24th season leading the Cougars, Cottingham owns a career coaching record of 400-353 (.531) at SAU. He is the all-time wins leader in Spring Arbor men’s basketball history and currently ranks 20th on the NAIA’s Men’s Basketball Winningest Active Coaches list. His resume includes 15 winning seasons, including 10 20-win seasons and one 30-win season, a campaign that culminated in SAU capturing its first NAIA national championship. Cottingham has led SAU to two National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national titles (2005, 2006) and one NAIA national title (2019).