KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NABC today announced the recipients of the 2025 NABC Guardians of the Game pillar awards. The awards are presented each year at the NABC Convention to coaches, administrators and contributors who embody the NABC’s core values of leadership, service, education, advocacy, and inclusion.
Receiving the 2025 NABC Guardians of the Game awards are: for Leadership, LSU-Shreveport coach Kyle Blankenship; for Service, NABC International Committee chair Alan Lambert; for Education, Chapman coach Dan Krikorian; for Advocacy, Purdue coach Matt Painter; and for Inclusion, Alabama A&M coach Otis Hughley Jr.
“The NABC Guardians of the Game platform showcases the impact coaches make beyond Xs and Os,” said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. “Each of this year’s recipients have left their own unique mark on and off the court, and I thank them for living out the NABC’s core values and serving as role models for our profession.”
NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Leadership – Kyle Blankenship, LSU-Shreveport head coach
Kyle Blankenship has been the head men’s basketball coach at LSU-Shreveport since 2012, where he has led the program to 12 NAIA Tournament appearances and earned Red River Coach of the Year honors seven times. Last season, Blankenship took on a unique challenge when he also assumed the head coach role of the LSUS women’s team following the resignation of the former coach just weeks before the first game. The men’s team finished the season with a 28-5 record and reached the NAIA men’s tournament round of 16, while the women went 30-3 and advanced to the second round of the women’s bracket.
NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Service – Alan Lambert, NABC International Committee chair
Alan Lambert has served as chair of the NABC Internal Committee for over 20 years. In his position, Lambert plays a key role in the NABC’s engagement with the international coaching community and leads educational programming at the NABC Convention focused on the international game. Earlier in his career, Lambert held assistant coach positions on the Penn State and Oregon State women’s basketball staffs, along with multiple head coaching jobs with German professional clubs.
NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Education – Dan Krikorian, Chapman head coach
Dan Krikorian joined the Chapman staff in 2013 and was elevated to the program’s head coach this past summer. During his time on staff, the Panthers have reached three NCAA Division III Tournaments and won 20 or more games three times. Krikorian co-founded the Slappin’ Glass podcast in 2020 with former Chapman teammate Patrick Carney, and the duo has built the podcast into a go-to educational resource for coaches at every level of professional, college and scholastic basketball. Slappin’ Glass reached the 200-podcast episode mark this season, and has also expanded into providing educational video content and an online community for coaches.
NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Advocacy – Matt Painter, Purdue head coach
Matt Painter has reached 15 NCAA Tournaments and seven Sweet 16s, advanced to last season’s national championship game, and won five Big Ten regular-season championships and two Big Ten Tournament titles in his 20-plus seasons at Purdue. Off the court, Painter is one of the most influential voices in the sport and currently serves on the NABC Board of Directors. He recently completed a term as a coach representative on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee – a marquee committee that leads legislative and growth strategies for college basketball’s highest level.
NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Inclusion – Otis Hughley Jr., Alabama A&M head coach
Otis Hughley was hired at Alabama A&M in 2022, and boasts a lengthy resume with experience at the college, NBA, international, and high school levels. In addition to his primary role at the HBCU program, Hughley was appointed as head coach of the Senegal Women’s National Team in June and will lead the team through the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket competition. Hughley previously coached the Nigeria Women’s National Team and held various coaching positions in Spain and China.
