Lykins offers high credentials as wheelchair basketball coach
Lykins has nearly 30 years of experience in coaching the sport.
Published Feb. 23, 2009
Ron Lykins has traveled to many countries with different teams, and now he is working as the Missouri Tigers wheelchair basketball team's coach.
On Feb. 2, the team appointed Lykins, a coach with 29 years of experience whose teams have previously won six gold medals.
Lykins attended the University of Kentucky, and in his senior year, a class requirement led to his future career.
"I needed 80 to 90 volunteer hours for a class in college," Lykins said. "I finished my requirement in about two weeks, but when I graduated from college one of the four wheelchair basketball coaching jobs opened up. Dumb luck I guess."
After his first coaching job at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Lykins became the back-to-back gold medal-winning coach of the U.S. women's wheelchair basketball team.
Associate coach Steve Paxton started the wheelchair basketball team in 2004 and said with Lykins' experience, recruiting should be reaching another level.
"This makes recruiting much easier with an international coach with gold medals," Paxton said.
With Lykins' help, the team is one step closer to reaching a goal of being competitive on a national level, Paxton said. Paxton called the timing of appointing Lykins weird but necessary.
"It was necessary because in the middle of last season, it was quite apparent we need more help," Paxton said. "We held a nationwide search and his experience and his knowledge base gave him the edge to winning the job."
Paxton started the program with one man and an office, and now with the addition of Lykins, Paxton still appreciates his job.
"I was one man doing 10 people's jobs, and now we are two men doing ten people's jobs," Paxton said. "Sometimes it gets to be a little too much, but I love what I do."
Senior John Gilbert won a gold medal in the 2007 Para Pan-American Games as one of the 12 players playing for the U.S.
Gilbert said Lykins' experience is working for the Tigers.
"The extra knowledge that he brings to the table has been great, and since then we have been working well with him," Gilbert said.
Lykins pushed away the acclaim when his gold medals are mentioned, giving all credit to his players by revealing what the keys to success have been so far in his career.
"I have had great players who work hard," Lykins said.
Three weeks into his position as a new Tigers coach, Lykins is trying to focus on improving more than the total in the win column.
"We want to win, but the most important goal is to be as competitive as we can get," Lykins said. "Winning is important, but this season is all about being as competitive as possible."
Coming away from winning the Madonna Magic Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., the team competed last weekend in the Crossover Tournament held in Brewer Fieldhouse.
Paxton said the program keeps growing, and he knows the addition of Lykins is another piece.
"The program is exploding," Paxton said. "It is getting bigger and better everyday. He brings a renewed energy to the program."