| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Assistant coach |
| Team | Purdue |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1971-11-14)November 14, 1971 (age 53) |
| Playing career | |
| 1991–1992 | Iowa |
| 1993–1995 | Southern Illinois |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1996–1997 | Southwestern Illinois (assistant) |
| 1999–2002 | Missouri Southern (assistant) |
| 2002–2003 | Dubuque |
| 2003–2004 | Southern Illinois (assistant) |
| 2004–2011 | Purdue (assistant) |
| 2011–2018 | Missouri State |
| 2018–2021 | Creighton (assistant) |
| 2021–present | Purdue (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 106–121 (.467) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (CIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Paul Lusk (born November 14, 1971[1]) is an American men'sbasketball coach and formerpoint guard, who is a current assistant men's basketball coach for thePurdue Boilermakers. He playedcollege basketball atIowa from 1991 to 1993 before transferring toSouthern Illinois where he played from 1993 to 1995 for head coachRich Herrin. He then served as the head coach of theMissouri State Bears (2011–2018).
A native ofNew Baden, Illinois,[2] Lusk played high school basketball at Trenton (Wesclin) high school, leading the Warriors to the 1990 Class A state title with an 83–78, 2OT win over top-ranked Fairbury (Prairie Central). Lusk originally committed to theUniversity of Iowa, but suffered a broken leg in his freshman year with the Hawkeyes and later transferred toSouthern Illinois University where he played under longtime head coachRich Herrin.[3]
Lusk was hired in 2002 as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. He held this job for only one year, the 2002-2003 season. During this season, he was able to win only two games, and finished the season with 2 wins and 23 losses. His team finished last in the conference with a record of 1 win and 17 losses. (archive)https://udspartans.com/sports/2023/12/1/mens-basketball-record-book.aspx
Lusk was an assistant atPurdue University from 2004 to 2011 under legendary coachGene Keady andMatt Painter.
Lusk was introduced as the new coach atMissouri State University on Friday, April 1, 2011, replacing longtime friend,Cuonzo Martin after he left for the head coaching position atTennessee.[4] In his first season as a head coach, the Bears entered the year with strong expectations and returnedMissouri Valley Player of the Year,Kyle Weems. The team would go on to hold a 15–16 record. A major highlight of the season was a road victory over 21st-rankedCreighton in the opening game of conference play.
In Lusk's second season as head coach, with a roster including six freshmen and only one returning senior, the Bears were the youngest team in theMissouri Valley Conference and one of the youngest in the nation. Struggling early in the season the Bears went 0–10 against Division I programs, only gaining 2 wins in their first 12 games against Division II teams. The Bears registered their first win over a Division I team on December 30, beatingSouthern Illinois University 70–59.
He was fired from Missouri State on March 3, 2018.[5]
Following his firing from Missouri State, Lusk joined the coaching staff ofGreg McDermott atCreighton.[6]
On April 12, 2021, Lusk returned to Painter's staff at Purdue.[7]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State(Missouri Valley)(2011–2018) | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | Missouri State | 16–16 | 9–9 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2012–13 | Missouri State | 11–22 | 7–11 | T–8th | |||||
| 2013–14 | Missouri State | 20–13 | 9–9 | T–4th | CIT First Round | ||||
| 2014–15 | Missouri State | 11–20 | 5–13 | 8th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Missouri State | 13–19 | 8–10 | T–6th | |||||
| 2016–17 | Missouri State | 17–16 | 7–11 | T–6th | |||||
| 2017–18 | Missouri State | 18–15 | 7–11 | T–7th | |||||
| Missouri State: | 106–121 (.467) | 51–75 (.405) | |||||||
| Total: | 106–121 (.467) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||