Davenport University Athletics

Burt Paddock is currently in his 18th season as the head coach of the Davenport men’s basketball team in 2025-26. He is the third head coach in school history and has tasted success at both the NAIA and NCAA levels. Paddock posted nine straight winning seasons to begin his tenure at Davenport in the NAIA and as a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference with a record of 247-66 (78.9 win percentage). That generational run included being named WHAC Coach of the Year in 2011-12 when the Panthers went 32-5 overall and 16-2 in the WHAC. Davenport won four WHAC regular season and two tournament titles under his guidance and also made eight trips to the NAIA National Tournament. The Panthers advanced to the national semifinals in 2011-12, 2014-15, and 2015-16.

The Panthers entered the NCAA Division II and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ranks in 2017-18. Paddock and his team picked up 13 wins, including seven in the conference during the first year transition. In 2018-19, everything clicked for the Panthers as they went 27-4 overall and 17-3 in the GLIAC to win the regular season championship. Paddock was named GLIAC Coach of the Year and DU advanced to the GLIAC Tournament finals before falling to GVSU, 80-70. During the 2021-22 season, DU finished 17-14 overall and an even 10-10 in conference play. They entered the GLIAC Tournament as the eighth seed and promptly ran the table with three wins to secure their first GLIAC Tournament title. In the finals, the Panthers won 100-67 over Northern Michigan at the SDC Gym in Houghton, Mich. The victory secured the first appearance in the NCAA Division II Regionals, which were hosted by Walsh University. The Cavaliers as the top seed in the region took down DU 82-56 in the quarterfinals.

Paddock currently sits at 349 wins and a 65.4 win percentage in his tenure at Davenport. He has coached four First Team All-GLIAC performers and seven First Team All-WHAC selections. He mentored the GLIAC Player of the Year in 2018-19 (Dyllon Hudson-Emory) and also the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 (Matyas Vrabel). He also guided Nathan Cox who won WHAC Player of the Year in 2010-11 and Dominez Burnett who won that same award in 2014-15. Burnett was also named the NAIA Player of the Year in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

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 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 High School 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. 

GLIAC Era Highlights

• Marcedus Leach Jr. was named GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year in 2023-24
• Leach Jr. was also named All-Midwest Region Second Team and First Team All-GLIAC in 2022-23
• During the 2021-22 season, captured first GLIAC Tournament title - beat Northern Michigan by the widest margin ever in the championship game and became the first team to score 100 points in that game since 1996. DU also became the first-ever eight seed to win the tournament crown. Jarrin Randall was named tournament MVP after averaging 23 points per game. Chris Rollins was named First Team All-GLIAC for the third straight season and All-Defensive Team for the fourth time.
• Posted a 19-12 overall record, 11-9 GLIAC mark during the 2019-20 season. Knocked off No. 8 Ferris State, 69-65, at the Student Center on Jan. 4. Paddock picked up his 300th career win against Northwood on Jan. 18 in Midland, Mich.
• Won their first-ever GLIAC regular season championship (first DU team in any sport to accomplish that feat) in 2018-19. Won 14 straight games at one point during the season. Finished No. 12 in the final NABC Division II poll. Paddock named GLIAC Coach of the Year. Dyllon Hudson-Emory picked up GLIAC Player of the Year and NABC First Team All-Region honors. Avery Hudson was named First Team All-GLIAC.