OKLAHOMA CITY – Mid-America Christian University Athletics is proud to announce that Cade Upshaw from the MACU men's basketball team's coaching staff has been elevated to the program's Associate Head Coach.
Serving as the program's Assistant Coach for the past two seasons, Upshaw has been a part of the MACU men's basketball team as a player and a coach for six years.
"I am very blessed to be working at a place like MACU," Upshaw remarked. "The people here are truly special. I want to thank President Greenwald and Athletic Director Marcus Moeller for their support and allowing me to learn and grow here at MACU. I want to thank Coach Josh Gamblin for believing in me and being the best mentor that a young coach could ask for. He has made me a better coach, leader, husband and most importantly, a more devoted follower of Christ. Lastly, I want to thank my family, my parents and my wife Kelsey for supporting me in this tough profession."
"Cade Upshaw is first and foremost an outstanding person who loves MACU and loves the Lord," stated Gamblin. "He puts others before himself and is constantly searching for ways to serve. He has turned down offers to stay at MACU. He is an Evangel through and through. He is a star in this business and someday will be an elite head coach. I am abundantly thankful for him."
Over the past two seasons, the men's basketball program has amassed a record of 31-30, which included a stellar 2021-22 season where the Evangels amassed 20-13 record and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the sixth time in program history after picking up three NAIA Top 10 wins over No. 6 LSU Shreveport, No. 8 Bethel (Kan.) and No. 9 Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas).
Before spending a season as the Assistant Coach at Southwestern Christian (Okla.), Upshaw broke into the coaching scene as a Student-Assistant Coach for MACU's SAC Championship team in 2019-20. One of the most successful campaigns in MACU men's basketball history, the Evangels wrapped up the season with a 30-2 overall record, turned in a 19-1 mark in SAC play and earned the program's first ever No. 1 seed in the NAIA Tournament.
Prior to starting his coaching career, Upshaw played under Coach Gamblin for the Evangels during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns. In his two years on the roster, Upshaw was an instrumental piece of back-to-back 21-win teams as the Evangels qualified for the NCCAA National Championships in 2018 before returning the NAIA National Tournament in 2019, picking up a massive upset over No. 1 seed Tougaloo (Miss.) in the first round to advance to the Round of 16.
"I look forward to this next chapter and helping MACU continue to grow and competing for championships," Upshaw added. "I was once a player, volunteer, assistant and now associate head coach, but the mission is still the same. Lead young men to be followers of Christ, get an education and win a lot of championships."
Mid-America Christian will officially open the highly-anticipated 2023-24 season on Monday, Oct. 30 as the Evangels will host Randall (Okla.) for a 7 p.m. tip-off inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
