Davenport University Athletics

Burt Paddock is currently in his 17th season as the head coach of the Davenport men’s basketball team in 2024-25.

In his 16th season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program, Paddock guided the Panthers to nine wins overall and four in conference action. Individually, Marcedus Leech Jr. was named the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year and garnered Second Team All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign.

Off the heels of the first GLIAC Tournament Championship in program history, Paddock entered his 15th season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-23, looking to build off the strong finish of the prior season. The Panthers ended the 2022-23 season with a 7-21 overall record and 3-15 record in GLIAC play. As far as individual honors, Marcedus Leech Jr. was named All-Midwest Region Second Team and First Team All-GLIAC.

Burt Paddock's 14th season at the helm of Davenport men's basketball, 2021-22, saw the veteran head coach lead the Panthers (17-14, 10-10 GLIAC) to the first GLIAC Tournament Championship in program history. Eighth-seeded DU dismantled third-seeded Northern Michigan, 100-67, for the largest margin of victory ever in the league final and became the first team to score 100 points in that game since 1996. Davenport also became the first-ever eight seed to win the event and was just the third to play in the finals.

With that, the Panthers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, another first for the program. Prior to that rout of NMU, Davenport knocked off top seed, Ferris State, in the quarterfinals (91-90) before running past fourth-seeded Saginaw Valley State in the semifinals (98-80). Jarrin Randall was named Tournament MVP after averaging 23 points per game and was joined by Luke Maranka on the All-Tournament Team with 17 points per contest in his own right.

Prior to the Panthers' magical postseason run, Chris Rollins was named First Team All-GLIAC for the third-straight season, All-Defensive for the fourth time in as many campaigns, and Randall garnered a Second Team All-GLIAC nod.

Paddock's 13th season in 2020-21 was shortened to just 16 games (5-11) because of the Covid-19 pandemic and didn't have its first game until Jan. 8. At the conclusion of play, multiple Panthers were featured on the All-GLIAC Teams for the third-straight season including Chris Rollins on the First Team (second season in a row) and the All-Defensive Team (third season in a row) as well as Scott Ulaneo on the Second Team.

In 2019-20, his 12th at the helm, Paddock led Davenport (19-12, 11-9 GLIAC) to a second-consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance. The highlight of the regular season may have come on Jan. 4 inside the Student Center when the Panthers knocked off No. 8 Ferris State, 69-65. The win marked the program's second over a ranked team in the Division II era. For Paddock, it may have come just two weeks later when he picked up win No. 300 for his already illustrious coaching career as Davenport defeated Northwood, 70-63. At the conclusion of the season, the league recognized Chris Rollins (First-Team All-GLIAC & All-Defensive Team) and Janeau Joubert (Second-Team All-GLIAC) for their terrific campaigns.

Season No. 11 was full of highs for Paddock and the Panthers as they won the school's first ever GLIAC Regular Season Championship, not just in basketball, but in any sport. DU went 27-4 overall, 17-3 in league play, won a program best 14 games in a row at one point, and finished No. 12 in the final National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) rankings. Davenport hosted the GLIAC Postseason Championship Tournament and came one win away from claiming that title too.

Not only was Paddock named the GLIAC Coach of the Year, but Dyllon Hudson-Emory took home First-Team All-GLIAC, GLIAC Player of the Year and NABC First-Team All-Region honors. Also featured on the league's postseason honors were Avery Hudson (First-Team All-GLIAC), Janeau Joubert (Second-Team All-GLIAC) and Chris Rollins (GLIAC All-Defensive Team).

Prior to Davenport's GLIAC membership beginning in 2017, Paddock helped lead the Panthers to the NAIA Fab Four in 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2015-16. Paddock guided DU to eight straight NAIA National Tournaments before the transition to NCAA Division II. Paddock has posted an overall record of 327-123 (.727 winning percentage) in 14 years and has seen his teams break almost every record at Davenport. He led the Panthers to back-to-back Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Championships from 2011-13 before a third conference title in 2014-15 and fourth in 2015-16.

Over his nine seasons at the NAIA ranks, Paddock coached 13 players who received NAIA All-American honors including a pair of first-team selections in Nathan Cox and Dominez Burnett as well as the NAIA National Player of the Year in Burnett for both 2014-15 and 2015-16. Burnett was also named the inaugural Bevo Francis Small College Player of the Year during 2015-16. The program also saw 31 different players receive All-WHAC honors.

Paddock came to DU from Grand Valley State, where he served as an assistant for four years under head coach Ric Wesley. At GVSU, Paddock was responsible for various day-to-day duties within the Laker basketball program in addition to being the lead recruiter. During the 2006-07 (29-5 record) and 2007-08 (36-1) seasons, Paddock helped the Lakers to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The 2007-08 Lakers posted an NCAA school record 36 wins, all of which came in a row to open the season before finally falling in the Elite Eight. In both of those seasons, Grand Valley posted an exhibition win over a Division I school including the University of Detroit in 2006-07 and Michigan State in 2007-08 (double overtime). In four years as a GVSU assistant, the Lakers went 110-20 (.846).

Prior to his appointment at Grand Valley State, Paddock was an assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College from 2002-04. Paddock served as the Pumas' recruiting coordinator and was also responsible for preseason/postseason workout programs, overseeing travel plans and budgetary issues and implementing innovative practice plans.

An Indiana native, Paddock has strong Great Lakes roots and is a 1997 graduate of Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind. with a degree in Business Administration. Paddock played four years of collegiate basketball and in his four seasons at Manchester, the team posted a 91-24 record and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championship game during his sophomore season before losing to Bo Ryan and Wisconsin-Platteville. Paddock also played for former Indiana great and former UCLA head coach, Steve Alford. Paddock left the school as its second all-time leading scorer and was named to the All-Conference First Team three times as well as being named the Freshman of the Year in 1993-94. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame during 2008 and was named the Claude Wolfe Alumni Coach of the Year for 2017.

In 2018, Paddock was named to the Men's Silver Anniversary Team by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Paddock was a four-year standout for Alexandria with 1,258 points in three seasons (official release).

Burt and his wife, Carrie, reside in Hudsonville, Mich. and are the proud parents of their daughters, Hannah and Rylee.