Bryan Lentz enters his fourth season as an assistant coach with Appalachian State men’s basketball after spending the previous four seasons at the University of Texas.
Before coming to Appalachian, Lentz spent four seasons at the University of Texas. Lentz served as a special assistant on head coach Rick Barnes’ staff and was involved in all aspects of internal operations with the Longhorns. In his four seasons at UT, the Longhorns compiled an 87-48 record, made three NCAA Tournament appearances (2011, 2012, 2014) and won a pair of NCAA Tournament games.
Prior to his stint at Texas, Lentz spent nine years coaching alongside his father, legendary Lenoir-Rhyne head coach John Lentz. During his nine seasons on the bench, the Bears won five South Atlantic Conference regular-season titles, one SAC tournament title and advanced to five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. In his final two seasons at L-R, Bryan served as the Bears’ associate head coach.
A four-year letterwinner at Lenoir-Rhyne, Lentz finished his playing career with 1,374 points and ranked fifth in school history in assists (388), steals (159) and free throw percentage (.824). He was tabbed the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year in 1996-97 and earned second team all-SAC honors as a sophomore in 1997-98.
Lentz earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2000. A native of Lumberton, N.C., Lentz and his wife, Christy, have two sons, Luke and Owen.
| BRYAN LENTZ AT A GLANCE |
| Full Name: |
William Bryan Lentz |
| Birthdate: |
April 17, 1977 (40 years old) |
| Alma Mater: |
Lenoir-Rhyne, 2000 (B.A., sports management) |
| Wife: |
Christy (Haynes) |
| Children: |
Luke and Owen |
| COACHING EXPERIENCE |
| 2001-08 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (assistant coach) |
| 2008-10 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (associate head coach) |
| 2010-14 |
Texas (special assistant/video coordinator) |
| 2014-present |
Appalachian State (assistant coach) |
| PLAYING EXPERIENCE |
| 1996-2000 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (guard) |
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BRYAN LENTZ
“We’re all really excited for Bryan. He certainly brought a great deal to our program for the last four years, and we’re definitely going to miss him and his family here in Austin. This is an excellent hire for Coach Fox and for Appalachian State University. From his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Bryan knows that area of the country as well as anyone. He’s also added a national perspective to that base from his work here at Texas. There’s no doubt that Bryan will be an excellent asset for Coach Fox, as they help build the Appalachian State program and transition into the Sun Belt Conference.”
— Texas head coach Rick Barnes
