Athletics has been an important part of the college experience at Motlow State since the school opened in 1969. The Bucks have consistently competed on a championship level in baseball, softball, men's basketball, women's soccer, and women's basketball. The nickname Bucks was chosen by the Motlow student body during the fall of 1970.
Motlow Athletics underwent a brand refresh in 2022. As part of the refresh, the nickname Lady Bucks was dropped, and all Motlow athletic teams are now known as the Bucks. The refresh also includes a new athletic logo, individual team lockups, and an expanded color palette. For the first time, Motlow has a full-body buck mascot. The majestic, powerful Buck is known as Reagor.
Motlow competes as a member of the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), competing on the Division I level.
Expansion came in the fall of 2016 with the announcement that women's soccer would be added as a Division I fall sport in 2017. The soccer program has become a national power in six years, earning its way to the NJCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022. Motlow continues to produce the best student-athletes both in the classroom and in competition.
Motlow began its athletic program at the inception of the college in 1969 with only two sports - men's basketball and baseball. In 1973, women's basketball joined the ranks of collegiate athletics. Softball became a reality in 1993 in an effort to enhance the Motlow Athletics program.
Men's golf and men's and women's tennis each had a very successful but short-lived time as sports at Motlow in the 1980s and 90s, but both were discontinued for various reasons.
Women's Soccer
Women's soccer is Motlow's newest athletic program, with the announcement in the fall of 2016 that the program would begin in 2017. On September 1, 2016, Andy Lyon was introduced as the school's first soccer head coach. Lyon built the program from the ground up, recruiting his first class of student-athletes, creating a schedule, buying equipment and uniforms, and securing the schedule without the benefit of a home field.
In its first season, the Motlow soccer team compiled an 8-7-1 record. The first win in program history came on Sept. 15, 2017, in a 4-0 shutout of Southwest Tennessee.
In six seasons, Lyon has built the Bucks into a contender on the national stage. His squad won the TCCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022, then won the NJCAA District Championship and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament both seasons. Lyon was named conference and district Coach of the Year in both seasons. In six seasons, Lyon has compiled a 69-28-4 overall record.
Motlow began construction of a soccer field on its Moore County campus in the spring of 2022 and will begin to play on the new facility in the fall of 2023.
Men's Basketball
It is impossible to reflect on the past, or project the future, of Motlow's athletic program without recalling the people who made it happen. Reflection begins with coach Joe Daves, the initial coach at the helm of men's basketball. Coach Daves' nine-year stint established the Bucks as a competitive team throughout the TCCAA as well as the NJCAA. His team won back-to-back TCCAA Eastern Division titles in 1971-72 and 1972-73, and the 72-73 team was Motlow's first championship team as it won both the regular season and the tournament crown. He compiled a record of 135-117.
Motlow's first athletic team completed an 11-12 record during the 1969-70 season and was led in scoring by Franklin County native Jerry Altgilbers, who scored 484 points for a 21 points-per-game average. Paul Williams scored the first basket for the Bucks and led the team with 21 points as Motlow beat Covenant College 74-69 in its first game, played at what was then called the Motlow Fieldhouse.
Daves recruited a number of players who are still considered among the greatest in Motlow history, including All-Americans Jack Battle, Bob Martin, and Billy Holt. The three, along with assist and steals leader Larry Mackin, still rank in the top 10 of many of the program's all-time single season and career records. Battle, Martin, and Holt were each named an All-American for the Bucks during Daves' time as the head coach. Both Daves and Martin have been inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame.
Coach Charlie Codgill followed Daves as head men's basketball coach during the 1978-79 season and his team finished with a 14-11 record in his lone season at the helm.
Carr McCalla took over the reins in 1979 and led the Bucks for six seasons, winning 65% of his games and compiling an outstanding 107-58 record. He returned Motlow to championship status, leading the program to two TCCAA Region VII championships during the 1981-82 and the 1983-84 seasons. McCalla, who became Motlow's athletic director from 1986-94, recruited All-American Mike Dailey and coached point guard Joe Gaskins, who followed him as head coach of the Bucks. McCalla was later inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame.
Joe Gaskins, who played for McCalla and is ranked in the top 10 all-time in career assists at Motlow, became one of the youngest head coaches in the nation when he was named head coach before the 1985-86 season. He rallied the Bucks to finish as co-division champions during his first season. Coach Gaskins led the Bucks from 1985-90 and compiled a 96-48 record. His 1987-88 team won 25 games, setting a new school record that lasted until 2008, and won 16 straight games which remains the all-time high. He recruited all-time leading scorer Tim Fant, who averaged 26.7 points per game and was named an All-American his second season.
Frank Cole took the helm of the Bucks from 1990 until 1998, compiling a record of 128 victories against 98 defeats during his eight seasons. His first team averaged 94.9 points per game, and he recruited All-American John Gales, who remains a top 10 career scorer in Motlow history.
Lonnie Thompson took the reins of the Bucks in 1998 and led the program to three consecutive Eastern Division titles before exiting in 2002. His 2001-02 team tied the school record with 25 wins. Coach Thompson left Motlow to become head coach at Cumberland University. Jeff Johnson led the Bucks program from 2002-06.
Bobby Steinburg, who served one year as an assistant to Thompson, took over the reins before the 2006-2007 season, staying two seasons and compiling a 40-20 overall record while leading the 2007-2008 team to a 28-5 record. Steinburg recruited some of the greatest players in Bucks' history, including Tyree Evans, Demarco Steptor, Frank Henry-Ala, and Cliff Dixon. Coach Steinburg left Motlow to become an assistant coach at Kent State University.
Mike Brown coached one season at Motlow and led the Bucks to a 22-8 record in 2008-2009 and the regular season TCCAA championship. Brown was rewarded by being named the TCCAA Coach of the Year, and his top recruit Tim Williams was named an All-American following the season and co-MVP of the conference. Coach Brown left Motlow to become an assistant coach at South Alabama.
Jerry Nichols guided the Bucks from 2009-2013 and produced four of the most successful consecutive seasons in school history. Nichols achieved an 80-31 record, including TCCAA regular season championships in 2011 and 2013 and a TCCAA/Region VII Tournament championship, and a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2013. Nichols was named TCCAA Coach of the Year both seasons. Nichols was named Athletic Director of the College in the summer of 2011 and remained in that role until his departure in 2013. Freddie Goldstein, a member of Nichol's first two teams, became the first Motlow player to be named All-American in both of his seasons. Coach Nichols left Motlow to become head coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College and is now the head coach at Walters State.
Matt Sligh became the 11th head coach in Bucks' basketball history in July 2013. He came to Motlow after three successful seasons as the top assistant coach at William Jewell College in Missouri. His first recruit, Dequon Miller, was named an All-American in 2014, and freshman Jaylen Barford received the same honor in 2015. Sligh stayed two seasons at Motlow, compiling a 37-20 overall record, before departing in April 2015 to become an assistant coach at Missouri State University in Springfield.
JT Burton was named the 12th head coach in Motlow men's basketball history on June 4, 2015. Burton spent the previous season as the Director of Player Development at Tennessee under former Volunteer head coach Donnie Tyndall. Burton had a successful first season, leading his team to a 25-7 record. Jaylen Barford was named a 1st Team All-American and the Player of the Year in the TCCAA. Burton's second season resulted in the best year in school history. The 2016-17 Bucks won 30 games and advanced to the elite eight in the NJCAA tournament. Rashawn Fredericks was named Freshman of the Year and Burton Coach of the Year, while Javion Hamlet, who led the nation in assists, received second-team All-American honors. Burton resigned on April 10 to become an assistant coach at Morehead State University and is now the head coach at Tusculum University.
Arthur Latham was named the 13th head coach in Motlow men's basketball history on April 28, 2017. Latham spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach on Burton's staff at Motlow, helping guide the Bucks to the most successful back-to-back seasons in school history. Prior to that, Latham spent five years as an assistant coach at St. Catharine College in Kentucky.
In his first season as head coach, Latham led the Bucks to the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament championship and a trip to the national tournament. Sophomore Rashawn Fredericks was voted TCCAA Player of the Year and named a first-team NJCAA All-American. Isaiah Hart was named third-team All-American. In his six seasons as head coach, Latham has an overall record of 87-82.
Men's basketball has had three former Bucks elected to the TCCAA Hall of Fame: Head coach and athletic director Joe Daves, head coach and athletic director Carr McCalla, and player Bob Martin.
Women's Basketball
The women's program began in 1974 under the leadership of Coach Pat Sarver, who built it from scratch and coached the first two seasons of play, compiling a 23-19 record. The original Motlow women's team was known as the Buckettes for one season before the student body voted to change the name to the Lady Bucks. Now, they are simply the Bucks.
Coach Sarver established a standard of excellence for the program from the beginning, recruiting outstanding players who still hold high positions in the Motlow record book. Karen Carter played from 1974-76 and had an outstanding career, averaging 17.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She was named the Bucks' first All-American following her sophomore season. Carla Tart led Motlow with 27 points in its first game, a 52-51 loss to Columbia State.
Jackie Koss then led the Bucks for eight years from 1976 to 1984. Koss took the young program to new heights, including a combined record of 42-9 from 1977-79. Her teams went 111-57 during her time at the helm and included Motlow's second All-American. Aljeanette Bramlett is one of only two Lady Bucks in history to average over 20 points per game during her career.
Coaches Daves (1984-85), Jackie Reavis (1985-86), and Johnny Hill (1986-88) served one and two-year terms, respectively, followed by Gary Vanatta's single season which ended in 1989.
Mike Holt, who played for Motlow from 1975-77, took over the women's program from 1989 through the 1996-97 season and assembled a 118-87 overall record. Holt coached the greatest team in Bucks history during the 1989-90 season, a team that set the school record for wins with 27, including 18 in a row. All-American Roschelle Vaughn had the greatest single season of any player in school history, averaging 25.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Karen Serra took the reigns of the women's basketball program in 1997 after a successful stint at Portland, TN high school. Serra spent 14 seasons at the helm of the Bucks, developing a consistent, competitive program and completing her tenure with a 226-231 overall record. Serra's 2004-05 team won 25 games and included All-Americans Leanne Pelham and T'Qwanda Pendergrast.
Jerry Nichols served as the interim women's coach during the 2011-2012 season, compiling an 11-13 record.
In July 2012 Motlow announced the hiring of Aaron Holland as its tenth women's basketball coach. Holland came to Lynchburg from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., where he worked for head coach John Brady for five years. Holland compiled a 7-43 record in his two seasons at Motlow.
In July 2014, the College announced that former Motlow player and assistant coach Dominic Tharpe was hired as the 11th head coach in Motlow women's basketball history. Tharpe played for Lonnie Thompson at Motlow from 1998-2000, was an assistant under Bobby Steinburg from 2006-2007, and spent 18 months as head coach of the Bucks before resigning in January 2016. He compiled a 14-26 record.
Bart Walker became the 12th head coach of Motlow's women's basketball program on April 13, 2016. Walker brought a dozen years of head coaching experience to the struggling program, including TCCAA/Region VII championships at both Hiwassee College and Chattanooga State. In his only season at Motlow, Walker led the Bucks to a 27-6 record and the program's first trip to the NJCAA women's national tournament. Walker resigned on April 24, 2017, to accept the head coaching position at Northwest Florida State College.
LaTanya Collins became the 13th head coach of the Lady Bucks on July 17, 2017. She brought experience on both the high school and the college levels. The Bucks won four of their final eight contests in Collins' first season to finish with an 8-20 record, and Janna Lewis was named TCCAA Freshman of the Year and member of the TCCAA All-Star team.
Collins' second squad went 19-12, and Lewis became one of the greatest players in program history. She set the all-time scoring record with 1,153 points. Lewis is only the second player in program history to average a double-double over her career with 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Kezia Conyers replaced Collins as Motlow's 14th program head coach for three seasons, 2019-2022, compiling a 13-51 record.
Jerome Barbee was named the 15th head coach in Motlow women's basketball history in October 2022. Without the benefit of a recruiting class and a couple of injuries to key players, Barbee's first team finished with a 1-20 record.
Baseball
Baseball got underway in 1970 under Coach Joe Johnson, who won only three games in his single season. The first game was played Mar. 25, 1970, at Dyersburg State. Home games were played at Tullahoma's Municipal Stadium until 1972 when the field that would become the Driver Complex was completed on the Moore County campus.
The spring sport continued the next three years under the leadership of Coach John Stanford, who established the program as a consistent conference contender by winning the conference and being named Coach of the Year in 1972. Catcher Eddie Daves became Motlow's first baseball All-American that same season. Stanford went 58-31 in his three years as head coach.
Jackie Reavis then took the reins from 1974 to 1982, winning 71 percent of his games and compiling a sparkling 261-107 record. His 1975 team still holds the school record with a .818 winning percentage (27-6), and his Bucks teams won Eastern Division titles in 1974, 78, 79, and 81. In a pitcher's era, Reavis recruited some of the best in Motlow history. Among them was Mark Shuler, who set a school record with 11 wins that was not broken until 2000. Shuler became Motlow's first 1st-Team All-American in 1978. John Stefero played at Motlow in 1979 and became the first Motlow alumnus to play in the major leagues. Reavis was elected to the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
Bucks baseball then experienced turbulence for the next four years, 1983-86, when the baseball program was non-existent.
Johnny Hill, who played for Motlow in 1973-75 and was an assistant coach in 1981, revitalized the program in 1987 and led the team for two seasons. Hill was 53-46 during those two seasons and recruited Moltow's most famous baseball player. David Weathers played for the Bucks in 1988-89 and went on to enjoy an 18-year major league career that included one World Series title with the Yankees. Weathers' jersey was retired by Motlow in 2011 and he was elected to the TCCAA Hall of Fame in 2016.
Don Rhoton took over in 1989 and won 664 games, including multiple state titles and a 2000 trip to the World Series, before retiring following the 2006 season. Although Rhoton's accomplishments are too many to mention, his teams won seven consecutive Eastern Division titles from 1994-2000. The 2000 team set a school record for wins with 57, including 17 in a row, and lost to San Jacinto, TX in the national championship final.
Rhoton recruited multiple players who earned All-American honors, including Jason Evans in 1995, Joshua Arteaga in 2000, Rocky Evans in 2001, Nathan Marty in 2003, and Bryan Morris in 2006. Arteaga, Motlow's greatest offensive player, holds multiple career and single-season batting records including home runs, runs batted in, hits and runs scored. Rocky Evans set both the single-season and career records for pitching wins, and Morris went on to become Motlow's third former player to reach the major leagues, playing six seasons with a 20-12 record and a 3.13 earned run average.
Rhoton was inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame in 2017.
Dan McShea took over the program to begin the 2007 season and is Motow's longest-tenured coach. His team compiled a 40-24 overall mark in 2014 when the Bucks finished runner-up in the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament and advanced to the East Central District tournament for the first time since 2000.
Sophomore Tyler Murphy set the all-time single-season batting average record of .459 and was named a 1st Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association in 2012. Coach McShea was named Motlow's interim athletic director in July 2015, where he served until Nov. 2015. He was again named the interim athletic director on Aug. 13, 2018, and again in 2020. In his 18 years as head coach, McShea has compiled an overall record of 352-366-1.
Softball
Fast-Pitch softball began in 1993 with coaches Jackie Reavis and Mike Holt leading the new venture. Current Head Coach Janice Morey played for Reavis and Holt.
Angela Tulley guided the program for two highly successful seasons in 1996 and 97, compiling a 58-25 record. Her 1997 team was the first Motlow softball squad to finish runner-up in the TCCAA tournament and starred former Bucks head coach and athletic director Tori Raby.
Motlow alumnus Gary Barfield began his tenure as softball coach prior to the 1998 season and compiled a sparkling 526-233 record in 14 seasons, including winning the TCCAA tournament championship in 2009 and advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament. Barfield also served as Motlow's Athletic Director prior to Nichols' appointment.
Barfield's 2001 team set a school record with 58 wins, and his former players hold almost every spot in the school record book. Barfield recruited all five of Motlow's All-American softball players, including Jo Sharp in 2000, Amanda Potuk in 2001, Tabitha Phelps in 2002 and 2004, Whitney Darlington in 2006, and Kayla Cole in 2009. He is inducted into the TCCAA Hall of Fame.
In June 2011, former Lady Bucks star Tori Raby was named head softball coach. Coach Raby came home to Motlow following a successful seven-year run as head coach at the University of Virginia's College at Wise, compiling a 202-154 record. The Lady Bucks compiled an 84-107-2 record during Raby's four seasons.
Another former player, Janice Morey, was named the school's sixth softball head coach on Nov. 1, 2015. Despite inheriting a full roster and being unable to recruit any additional players, Morey's first squad overcame a sluggish start and finished the season with a 28-24 overall record. Third baseman Aubrey Crowell was named 1st Team All-Conference. In her eight seasons at the helm of the softball program, Morey has compiled an overall record of 139-202.
Support
We attribute much of our success to the long-time supporters of Motlow athletics. We tip our hats to these supporters because the Motlow program could not be what it is without them.
The basketball teams play at Copperweld Arena inside Nisbett Center. The Nisbett family has supported Motlow athletics since the college opened, and continues that support today. The Bucks baseball team's home field is the Driver Baseball Complex.
Motlow's student-athletes represent themselves and the college well in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. Several of our student-athletes have gone on to promising careers as professional athletes, coaches, and leaders. We believe their experiences at Motlow contributed to their success.
Last Updated: June 27, 2023