3 minute read
Basketball Staff
Blake Cochran Player Development Coordinator First season at NSU McMurry, 2017
Jordan Luna Graduate Manager Second season at NSU Texas A&M, 2017
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Blake Cochran begins his first season as a volunteer assistant coach with NSU men’s basketball. Cochran served on the staffs of three different colleges before arriving at NSU. Most recently, Cochran was an associate head coach at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, a Texas program that is ranked in the NAIA Top 25 with consecutive 20-win seasons in Cochran’s two years. SWAGU climbed to No. 2 in the National Christian College Athletic Association. Cochran helped Fort Scott Community College to its best season in more than 30 years in 2017-18, assisting the Greyhounds to its first 20-win season since the 1980s as an assistant coach. Cochran played basketball at Northwestern Oklahoma State and later at Division II McMurry, helping the former to a conference title. He spent one season on the McMurry staff while finishing his bachelors in math education. Cochran has a masters in educational leadership from Pittsburg State, obtained in May. Cochran’s other experience includes working summer camps with the Dallas Mavericks and as a USA basketball clinic team instructor. He's married to the former Baylee Gray, a Northwestern State softball pitcher.
Travis Allen Graduate Manager First season at NSU Grand Canyon, 2020
Travis Allen is beginning his first season as a graduate assistant with the NSU men’s basketball program. Allen was the head student manager at Grand Canyon University for four seasons in which he trained, organized and directed a staff of managers. He performed a number of duties, including supporting practice, weight training, travel and recruiting operations. Other professional development includes co-founding Ball Out Phoenix, a basketball camp for underprivileged youth in West Phoenix. He volunteered during the 2017 Final Four. Allen earned his bachelor of science in sports management and is enrolled in masters classes in sports administration.
Jordan Luna is beginning his second season at Northwestern State as a graduate assistant. Luna, the only graduate assistant on the 2019-20 NSU staff, handled all travel coordination and film operations in his first season. The Texas native assisted in scouting, led individual workouts and served as the main liaison between the program and NSU's athletics academic department. In addition, Luna aided in on-campus recruiting visits, coordinated many of the program's community service projects and helped in fundraising efforts. He was part of a staff that helped the Demons return to significant March basketball in 2019-20 as the staff nurtured eight newcomers, blending with a core of veterans to finish tied for fourth in the Southland Conference. NSU won its first-round SLC Tournament game before the postseason was canceled because of the COVID-19 virus. Luna comes to Natchitoches after serving as the lead assistant coach at Washington Academy in Greenville, North Carolina, this past season. He led the purple team and was responsible for video and handling recruiting inquiries from college coaches. The Texas native has worked on the summer basketball camp staffs at Oregon, Alabama, Southern Methodist and North Texas as well as serving on the Texas A&M football gameday event staff. Luna graduated from Texas A&M in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management. He’s married to Jennifer Luna, who serves as the executive director for the Wom-
en's Resource Center in Natchitoches.
KC Henry Graduate Manager First season at NSU Wyoming, 2020
Kenneth (KC) Henry is beginning his first season as a graduate assistant with the NSU men’s basketball program. Henry served as a men’s basketball manager at Wyoming for the past two seasons, assisting in areas such as scouting reports, basketball camps, game day duties, daily practice drills and practice stats. An All-State basketball and football player Lingle High in Fort Laramie, Henry was on the Wyoming basketball roster for most of the 2018-19 season. Henry also was a part of the Eastern Wyoming College women’s basketball coaching staff while starting his college academic career, particularly focused on post play, workouts and pregame preparations. He earned his bachelors of science in kinesiology this past spring.
