Davenport University Athletics

The 2019-20 season marks Ethan Leasher's fifth with the Davenport University men's basketball program. During his tenure in Grand Rapids, the Mount Pleasant native has seen the Panthers rack up 96 wins to just 33 losses (.744 winning percentage) along with a WHAC Championship (regular season and postseason tournament) in 2016 and the school's first regular-season GLIAC Championship in any sport in 2019.
 
In each of the last three seasons, Leasher has served as the team's offensive coordinator after he was the defensive coordinator in his first season with the program in 2015-16. Leasher's other responsibilities include coordinating recruiting, overseeing all compliance activity, overseeing scholarship and operating budgets as well as alumni relations.
 
In 2018-19, not only did the team have great success, but Dyllon Hudson-Emory took home First-Team All-GLIAC, GLIAC Player of the Year and D2CCA 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). Statistically, Davenport was first in the GLIAC in free throws made, first in free throw percentage, second in scoring, third in assists per game, and third in made three-pointers.
 
In 2016-17, Davenport took home several individual honors including...

•     Kevin Rich - Second-Team All-American & First-Team All-WHAC
•     Nick Gamble - Honorable Mention All-American, First-Team All-WHAC and All-Defensive Team
•     Javon Haines - Second-Team All-WHAC & Newcomer of the Year
•     Robbie Bramhill - All-Freshman Team

Team wise, the Panthers led the conference in scoring offense (83.5 PPG), field goal percentage (.485), three-point field goal percentage (.392), and assists per game (17.5).
 
2015-16 saw DU win the conference behind several more individual honors...

•     Dominez Burnett - Bevo Francis Small College Basketball Player of the Year, All-WHAC Defensive Team & First-Team All-American
•     Wayne Bradford - Honorable Mention All-WHAC & All-Newcomer Team
•     Kevin Rich - Honorable Mention All-WHAC

The Panthers were first in the country in total steals (368) and second in scoring defense (63.9 PPG).
 
Leasher graduated from Central Michigan University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting/finance. In the summer of 2018, he completed his master's degree in business administration from Davenport. Leasher is engaged to longtime girlfriend, Kassandra Gutierrez.
 
Leasher played one year of college basketball at Adrian College in 2009-10 under Mark White. Leasher then served as head student manager of the CMU men's basketball team under Ernie Zeigler in 2010-11 and also coached the junior varsity boys basketball team at Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Academy in both 2011-12 and 2012-13 compiling a 35-5 record. Leasher coached AAU basketball for Hoopgrind Michigan from 2011-2014 and saw seven athletes sign collegiate athletic scholarships. He spent the 2014-15 season as a coaching assistant at Chadron State College (Neb.) and was responsible for recruiting, opponent scouting, film breakdown, and the team's travel arrangements. While with the Eagles, two of his players, Josiah Lee and Kendrick Holliman were both part of the All-RMAC Team.
 
Coach Paddock said, "Ethan is a tremendous addition to our program. People sometimes say it is better to be lucky than good. In the case of Coach Leasher we are lucky and he is very good. Coach E is a basketball junkie. He spends tireless hours at his craft: studying tape, relationship building with our players, recruiting, etc. He loves the game, our program and is a tremendous asset to the DU community. There is no doubt he will help us continue to get better as a program as we move forward!"