Entering his seventh year as head coach at IU Kokomo, Eric Echelbarger has established the men's basketball program as one of the most dynamic teams in the River States Conference while also being an NAIA National Tournament contender.
Echelbarger, the all-time winningest coach in school history, has led the Cougars to a 136-38 (78.16%) overall record with three NAIA Sweet 16 appearances. He inherited a program on June 1, 2018 that had won just 35 percent of its games and not made a postseason appearance.
Echelbarger has produced three NAIA All-Americans (Trequan Spivey - 2018; Desean Hampton - 2019, 2022) and three River States Conference First-Team All-Conference selections in his four seasons. He has compiled a 43-9 (82.7%) River States Conference record and was named the 2021-22 River States Conference Coach of the Year.
2021-22 Season
Echelbarger led the Cougars to a historic season in 2021-22, recording a program-best 32-4 record and a 17-1 mark in the River State Conference. The Cougars won both the regular season title and the RSC Championship, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament for the third time in four seasons. The RSC Conference Tournament Championship was the first in program history.
IU Kokomo took down No. 1 overall seed William Penn on their home court in the round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NAIA single division format. The Cougars finished the season ranked No. 22 in the NAIA National Rankings, and won a school-record 20-consecutive games from Dec. 21-March 12,
Hampton was named the River States Conference Player of the Year and NAIA Second-Team All-American, and graduated with the program record for rebounds and blocked shots. Spivey earned first-team all-conference honors and became the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,198 points.
2020-21 Season
The 2021-22 season came with many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cougars played just nine games, posting a 7-2 overall record.
2019-20 Season
The 2019-20 season was a breakthrough year once again for the Cougars who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament for the second-straight season. IU Kokomo finished the season with an overall record of 27-7, marking the team's second-highest win total in program history. The Cougars also won their second consecutive River States Conference West Division Championship, finished as runner-up in the Conference Tournament, and was ranked No. 22 in the final NAIA Division II National Rankings.
2018-19 Season
During Echelbarger’s first season in 2018-19, the Cougars used a high-powered offense and sticky defense to carve out 26 wins and earn a West Division Championship in the River States Conference. The Cougars were runner-up in the River States Conference Tournament and finished the year ranked No. 22 in the final NAIA Division II poll.
Qualifying for the NAIA Division II National Championship for the first time in program history, IU Kokomo capitalized by advancing to the Sweet 16. Coach Echelbarger was recognized for his teams’ success in February 2019 by being named NAIA “Coach of the Week” by Hoopdirt.com.
Off the court, Echelbarger has coached five River States Conference Academic All-Conference selections and the Cougars are actively involved in many community service projects throughout Kokomo.
Echelbarger arrived at IUK after spending 15 seasons as the assistant men’s basketball coach at NCAA Division II McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill. He was a player and coach under legendary head coach Harry Statham, who ranks second among college basketball’s all-time winningest coaches. McKendree amassed 339 victories during his career, and Echelbarger played an integral role in helping the Bearcats earn their first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth in 2015-16. McKendree was a two-time winner of the GLVC Team Sportsmanship Award and NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.
While at McKendree, Echelbarger helped lead the program to eight appearances at the NAIA Division I National Tournament, including five top-10 finishes. The Bearcats also won 30 or more games three times and captured six American Midwest Conference Championships during Echelbarger’s tenure.
Echelbarger graduated from McKendree in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's degree in education in 2007. In 2004 Echelbarger founded the McKendree Basketball Camp, which has grown into one of the largest of its kind in southern Illinois. He was also an associate instructor in the McKendree physical education department.
As a player, Echelbarger helped the Bearcats to 64 victories and consecutive American Midwest Conference championships. He was co-captain on the 2002-03 squad that went 34-4 and reached the semifinals of the NAIA Division I National Championship and was inducted into the McKendree Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. Echelbarger was a two-time member of the AMC Academic All-Conference team and was named as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete as a senior in 2003.
He played his first collegiate season at NCAA Division II Minnesota State University Moorhead under Indiana basketball legend Dave Schellhase before transferring to Olney Central College, where he was co-captain of the team that was runner-up at the NJCAA Regional XXIV Tournament in 2001.
Echelbarger is the son of former Indiana High School basketball coach Marty Echelbarger, who won 452 games during his coaching career and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Echelbarger is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
He currently resides in Kokomo with two sons, Ethan and Evan.
