Alexander Moves to the Little Apple

Belmont coach leaving for K-State

(St. Louis, MO) – Casey Alexander is leaving Belmont for Kansas State. He’s trading Music City for the Little Apple. He’s walking away from the Missouri Valley Conference and joining the Big Twelve. All we can say is, we wish him the all the best.

Alexander is a winner and a gentleman. He is a proven winner as a player, assistant coach and a head coach at low major programs and a mid-major program. This is his shot to show that he’s a winner at the high major level.

His career mark of 303-180 is one of the best among active coaches. His winning percentage of .735 while at Belmont is staggering. He spent two seasons at Lipscomb, where he was learning his head coaching craft (24-36) and it took him four seasons to get Stetson into the 20-win category, but finished his last three seasons there with at least twenty.

All seven seasons at Belmont were 20-win campaigns. Over the last nine seasons Alexander has claimed four conference championships (including this season) and two conference tournament trophies. He is a winner.

Why the Little Apple?

Alexander is heading to Kansas State where he will have the resources to hold on to the great players he recruits. When you think of the outstanding talent that has left Belmont for bigger pay days, you could field an outstanding ‘high major’ team.

This past season, former Bruins Cade Tyson, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Malik Dia performed at a high level. Minnesota’s Tyson averaged nearly 20 points per game and five rebounds. While Tennessee’s Gillespie averaged 18 and nearly six assists, Mississippi’s Dia was a 14-point, 6-rebound performer.

Golden State guard Will Richard left Belmont after his freshman year, before winning a national championship at Florida and heading to the association.

Belmont won the regular season title and produced the MVC’s ‘Player of the Year’ in Tyler Lundblade and multiple other league-wide honors for his teammates.

Alexander is headed to the Little Apple because K-State could see a proven winner, with an eye for talent and a coach that carries himself with professionalism, integrity and efficiency.

Published reports put Alexander’s salary at nearly $3.5 million and most believe the Wildcat basketball program has roughly $10 million in NIL money.

While K-State fans will want results, this is not a high wire act. During Alexander’s time at Belmont, the Wildcats have won twenty games exactly one time. They’ve reached double digits in conference wins, exactly one time.

Both of those accomplishments occurred in Jerome Tang’s first season. They proceeded to win 19, 16 and twelve games. Prior to Tang they won 14, 9 and eleven. Wildcat fans don’t expect 25 wins and national championships.

What’s Next?

There are important questions to be answered both in Manhattan and in Nashville. Which Belmont coaches and players will head west with Alexander and which will stay put or transfer somewhere else.

Who replaces him at Belmont and how does Belmont administration reevaluate their place in college basketball? After decades of basketball brilliance and consistency, does this signal some kind of change in the Belmont mentality?

We’ve been told that Lundblade has another year of eligibility. Every other Belmont player of substance could return to Belmont or leave with Alexander for K-State. All-Valley forward Drew Scharnowski, second-team wing Sam Orme and all-freshman team members Eoin Dillon and Jack Smiley are all in question.

Lundblade redshirted in 2021-22 and then played just fifteen games between 2022-23 and 2023-24.

When Josh Schertz left Lincoln Memorial for Indiana State and left Terre Haute for Saint Louis, he brought players with him. Beyond their talent ability, Schertz talked about the value of ‘corporate knowledge’.

Ryan Miller echoed that idea as he took over at Murray State. Corporate knowledge, ‘culture’ and talent coming with him could speed the course to success.

Do any of his assistants come along? Are any of them in the running to replace him at Belmont?  Brian Ayers has been with Belmont 28 years and could easily slide over one chair and take over. He could be the perfect bridge for the new Bruins’ coach or exactly what Alexander needs in Manhattan to put in the policies and procedures.

Assistants Luke Smith and Kerron Johnson starred at Belmont and have played a valuable and short role on Alexander’s staff. Often we see coaches bring young assistants with them to their next jobs because of the ‘corporate knowledge’ and the administrative help.

The best rumors today about who replaces Alexander include former Bruin star and current Duke assistant Evan Bradds and Alabama-Huntsville head coach Mitch Hedgepeth. He just finished his first Division 1 head coaching season with a 21-9 record. Bradds has NBA assistant coaching experience. Hedgepeth is a Bruin hall-of-famer.

We believe this process will move relatively quickly.

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