Thomas Nash, Head Coach

Thomas Nash was been named as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Mars Hill College on May 6, 2008.

Nash stated, “I am honored to be a part of the Mars Hill family and their rich heritage and strong core values. I want to thank Athletic Director, David Riggins and President Dan Lunsford for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I am very excited about the potential at Mars Hill College and am looking forward to building a program in which the college and the community can be proud.”

Nash comes to MHC from UNC Asheville where he has served on the Bulldogs staff for the past seven years. For the last four years Nash has served as the Bulldogs Associate Head Coach.  He has been a big part of UNC Asheville’s success. During Nash’s time at UNCA, the men’s basketball team made the school’s first NCAA appearance in 2003. This past season UNCA set a record for wins at 23 and was invited to participate in the NIT, as the first Big South team to be invited to the prestigious post-season tournament. UNCA was twice named Big South Conference Regular Season Champions during Nash’s time with the Bulldogs, and won one Big South Tournament Championship.

Prior to his stint at UNC Asheville, Nash had a successful five-year run as the head basketball coach at Carolina Day School. He guided the school to back-to-back North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association State Championships in 2000 and 2001. In the 2000-01 season, his Carolina Day team was ranked as the top basketball team in Western North Carolina by the Asheville Citizen-Times at the end of the season. Nash was named as WNC Coach of the Year by the Citizen-Times for the 1999-2000 season. He led the school to the state’s Final Four in 1999 and had them in the final 16 in 1997 and 1998.

The Asheville native and graduate of Carolina Day School was a three-sport participant including being a four-year letterman on the basketball team. Nash then went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts at Vanderbilt University in 1995. As a senior at Vanderbilt, Nash worked with the basketball program and current Charlotte Bobcat Director of Scouting and Asheville native Buzz Peterson. Nash continued his education by earning his Master’s in Sports Management from the United State’s Sports Academy.
Nash is married to former UNC Asheville women’s basketball player, Marcia Napier. They’ve been married for 10 years and reside in Asheville with their son, Edward, born in November of 2003.

MHC Athletic Director David Riggins stated, “Thomas Nash emerged from a very competitive group of candidates as the right man at the right time for our job.  His contacts in the Southeast will allow him to hit the ground running in terms of recruiting.  His coaching style and his philosophy of coaching are the right fit for Mars Hill.  We look forward to the energy and enthusiasm which Thomas will bring to our program.”

Trip Cogburn, Assistant Coach

Trip Cogburn was named as the new Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Mars Hill College on June 19, 2008.

Cogburn comes to Mars Hill from UNC Asheville. The Asheville native joined the Bulldog staff in 2002 and helped the Bulldogs win the Big South Conference tournament and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Cogburn’s duties include film exchange, scouting of opponents, travel plans and much more.

Cogburn is a 2002 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in English. He graduated locally from Carolina Day in 1998 where he lettered in soccer, baseball and basketball. Cogburn was the basketball team MVP his junior and senior years, earning all-conference honors as a senior. While at Carolina Day, he played for Nash. As a soccer player, Cogburn was an all-conference performer and team MVP his senior year.

During the 2000-01 school year, he was a volunteer for the athletics director at Carolina Day and coach of the school’s JV basketball team in 2001.