Todd Thurman

Director of Athletics

Southwestern Oklahoma State University has called upon its own ultra-successful men's basketball coach to take an even larger responsibility as the school’s new director of athletics.

Thurman has gained wide-spread popularity in the community with his exciting style of basketball where the Bulldogs have quickly grown into a crowd favorite. Thurman's two SWOSU teams have each been ranked in the NCAA Division II Top 25 and have qualified for the Lone Star Conference Tournament. Last year's team finished with a 21-7 record, the most wins since 1984.

Overall his coaching record at SWOSU stands at 38-17 (.690). He is 169-99 (.630) in nine years as a head coach, which includes seven at Wayland Baptist University. Thurman led Wayland to a 131-82 (.615) record which included four trips (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006) to the NAIA National Tournament.

Prior to arriving at Wayland in 1999, he worked as an assistant coach for nine seasons at his alma mater Southern Nazarene University, and as an assistant at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma Christian University.

Thurman had an illustrious playing career and went on to play several years professionally in England, Argentina and the Philippines during the mid 1980's. An all-stater at Yukon High School, Thurman led the Millers to the 1979 state title and went on to earn all-American honors at nearby Bethany Nazarene. He led Bethany (now Southern Nazarene University) to its first NAIA title by scoring 39 points in the 1981 championship against Alabama-Huntsville.

Thurman holds dual degrees in Business Administration and education from SNU. He also earned a master's degree in higher education from Central Oklahoma.

Thurman and his wife Lynne have two teenage sons: Nick, and Alex.