OKLAHOMA CITY – It is with heavy hearts that Mid-America Christian University Athletics announces that longtime MACU men's basketball assistant coach and former player for the Evangels, Anthony Nero, passed away from complications due to illness on Friday, July 22 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Midwest City, Okla.
"Anthony was a consistent figure in our men's basketball program for nearly 20 years," said MACU Athletic Director Marcus Moeller. "He was dearly loved by his players and colleagues. What I will always admire the most about Coach Nero was his consistent ability to engage young men spiritually and walk alongside them during life's biggest challenges. He was a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, a fierce sports debater and as loyal of a friend as you will ever meet. Anthony's mark on our men's program was significant and is especially evident in the stories and testimonies coming from his former players. We will miss our friend dearly, but we celebrate that his body has been made whole and is free from pain."
Nero had been an integral part of the MACU men's basketball program for two decades, competing with the Evangels from the 1992-96 seasons as a player before returning to his alma mater in 2007 to serve as an assistant coach for his former coach and mentor, Willie Holley, when the program made the transition to the NAIA.
As a player, Nero began his career at MACU (then Mid-America Bible College) prior to the start of the 1992-93 season and was a key piece of the Evangels program that won three NCCAA Southwest Regional Championships in 1993, 1995 and 1996.
After graduating from MACU, Nero pursued a career in both coaching and ministry. Nero became the Athletic Director for the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma City, a role he held until 2002. Nero also served as the Head Coach of the Oklahoma City Suns, an AAU 15-and-under boys' basketball club for 24 years while also serving as an Assistant Pastor at Bryant Avenue Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
In his 14-year coaching tenure with the Evangels, the third-longest coaching stint of any sport in MACU Athletics history, Nero had raised the program to new heights, which included winning the program's first ever NAIA National Championship and two Sooner Athletic Conference Championships.
During the 2014-15 season, Nero helped lead MACU to its first Sooner Athletic Conference regular season title after the Evangels finished the SAC slate with a 14-4 league mark and a 25-11 overall record.
As a result, MACU qualified for its first-ever NAIA National Tournament and advanced all the way to the quarterfinal round after picking up an 84-70 win over Xavier (La.) on March 19 and an 81-72 victory over Missouri Valley on March 20.
One year later, Nero not only assisted with the transition of first-year head coach Josh Gamblin in replacing MACU's first head coach in Holley, but also put the program on the map as the Evangels reached the pinnacle of the NAIA by winning the 2016 NAIA national title.
After finishing the regular season and SAC Tournament with a 23-9 record, the Evangels put together a magical run through the NAIA National Championship field, winning four of the five tourney games by two possessions or less. On March 22, the Evangels completed the incredible run with a 100-99 victory over Georgetown (Ky.) on Malcolm Mann's amazing buzzer-beating floater.
"Anthony Nero was a pillar of our University and a pioneer of our basketball program," said Gamblin. "If you knew Anthony, you loved him, but more importantly, you knew he loved you. He was a mentor to so many and the ultimate servant. He constantly put others before himself and he made it his top priority to share the Gospel. Anthony is what we as coaches should all strive to be. I will miss him dearly as will so many. We all rest in the fact that we will see him again."
During the 2019-20 season, Nero was instrumental in guiding the program to its winningest season in program history. During the campaign, the Evangels amassed a 30-2 (.938) overall record and boasted one of the best Sooner Athletic Conference records in league history (19-1, .950) to earn the program's second SAC title.
After putting together such a phenomenal resume during the regular season, the Evangels earned their first ever No. 1 seed in the NAIA National Championship Tournament, however, MACU missed out on its opportunity to seek a second NAIA title after the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the following pandemic-stricken season, not only did the team need to battle through multiple events getting canceled and postponed due to the pandemic, but Nero also faced health-related challenges that prevented him from being on the sideline that he occupied for 13 years.
Despite needing to coach remotely, providing off-court mentorship to his players and coaches, the team still fought its way to a 12-5 record and qualified for its third straight NAIA Tournament appearance after getting a huge 94-91 win over No. 8 Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) in the SAC Semifinal.
At the conclusion of the season, Nero retired from his assistant coach position and took on an advisory role with the program.
The visitation for Coach Nero will be held at Howard-Harris Funeral Home at 2601 SW 59th Street in Oklahoma City from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, July 29 with funeral services being held at Bryant Avenue Baptist Church at 4748 S. Bryant Avenue in Oklahoma City at 11 a.m. on July 30.
