Former UCI assistant Lee is conference’s top coach

Former UC Irvine men’s basketball assistant coach Todd Lee, now head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College, received the Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year Award.

Lee, in his third season at the school, guided the Panthers back to national prominence with a 24-7 record and a first-place tie for the GLVC East Division title with a 14-5 mark. He also led the program back to the Top 25 and the NCAA regional rankings, as well as a berth in the conference tournament for the first time in four seasons.

In January, Lee was chosen Division II Bulletin Coach of the Month. The Panthers were 7-19 in Lee’s first season and 13-14 a year ago before surging to the front of the GLVC in 2008. The 24 wins ties the fourth most in KWC regular-season history.

— From staff reports