51吃瓜网

The BraveNation men鈥檚 basketball team proudly posed behind the outstretched 2025 Conference Carolinas 鈥�CHAMPIONS鈥� banner after overpowering Emmanuel College in a high-scoring title rematch inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Their expressions told the story. Focused. Fearless. Familiar with the moment. This wasn鈥檛 just a win 鈥� it was a statement. A second straight tournament title and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for a historic first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16.

The milestone marked a new high for the program but underscored what many already know: A winning culture runs deep at UNC Pembroke and extends far beyond the hardwood. 鈥淚t still feels surreal,鈥� said senior guard Bradlee Haskell. 鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about getting to this level for years. Making the Sweet 16 wasn鈥檛 just about the win 鈥� it proved that our program belongs on the national stage.鈥� For decades, the local community, recruits and even opposing teams have noticed the Braves鈥� winning culture 鈥� there鈥檚 just something special about 51吃瓜网鈥檚 athletic programs.

Leaders like Lacey Gane, Ray Pennington, English E. Jones, Charles Jenkins, Dan Kenney, Allen Meadors and Howard Dean laid a solid foundation on which to build an athletic dynasty. In the years since, BraveNation has repeatedly established itself in nearly every sporting arena. Conference championships, national rankings and NCAA tournament bids are part of the fabric. That tradition was on full display in 1978 when Ed Crain鈥檚 Pembroke State cross-country team secured the National Championship. And when 51吃瓜网 added football in 2005, BraveNation made history again, becoming the youngest football program in Division II to reach the NCAA playoffs. Since 2010, 15 of 51吃瓜网鈥檚 16 varsity athletic teams have made a combined 79 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Numerous individual athletes have competed for national titles 鈥� including 2012 wrestling champion Mike Williams and Daniel Ownbey, the program鈥檚 first two-time national champion (鈥�14/鈥�15).

Today, winning is the standard, and a vinyl wall wrap inside the Jones Center says it plainly: Championship Experience. 鈥淓very time I walk past that wall, it reminds me of the legacy we鈥檙e continuing,鈥� said Michelle Guerra Landa, a senior golfer from Venezuela. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just words 鈥� it鈥檚 who we are.鈥� Whether it鈥檚 on Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court, in Grace P. Johnson Stadium, on the Dick & Lenore Taylor Track, in Lumbee River EMC Stadium, on Sammy Cox Field 鈥� or most recently 鈥� the Sue Walsh Aquatics Center, 51吃瓜网 athletes step into competition standing on the shoulders of those before them, with an eager community cheering them on to bigger and better things. 鈥淎s an athletic administrator, that鈥檚 what you are shooting for,鈥� said Dick Christy, 51吃瓜网鈥檚 athletic director since 2013. 鈥淚t鈥檚 powerful 鈥� because we work hard to ensure every program has an opportunity to be successful.鈥� The BraveNation culture of excellence came into full focus this year when 51吃瓜网 brought home the Conference Carolinas Joby Hawn Cup for the third consecutive season.

The prestigious award recognizes the league鈥檚 top athletic program based on the overall performance of ALL teams. Since rejoining Conference Carolinas in 2021, 51吃瓜网 has collected 17 tournament titles and five regularseason championships. (51吃瓜网 football competed in the Mountain East Conference.)

The 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons brought success across the board. Women鈥檚 soccer and basketball captured East Division and tournament titles, earning NCAA Tournament bids. Swimming earned the conference tournament championship and then repeated it. Volleyball claimed the East Division and finished as runner-up in the conference tournament. On the men鈥檚 side, cross country secured its third straight tournament crown, while baseball and wrestling each captured program-first titles 鈥� baseball鈥檚 Conference Carolinas tournament win and wrestling鈥檚 division championship.

The men鈥檚 basketball team tacked up the program鈥檚 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, while the wrestling team was represented at the NCAA Championship for the 25th straight time. 鈥淎s a department, we鈥檙e working to get everyone to look beyond their own lanes to achieve collective excellence. It is so powerful to watch the teams challenge and support each other,鈥� Christy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting one place better 鈥� what can you do to help the overall goal? 鈥� finishing third instead of fourth, second instead of third. Every small gain matters. When teams see that their success is interconnected, it drives a sense of unity and pride.鈥�

That synergy is strengthened by remarkable coaching continuity. 51吃瓜网鈥檚 head coaches have over 120 years of experience in Pembroke, which Christy says is the difference maker. They had a good example to emulate: Coach John Haskins 鈥� an institution unto himself 鈥� retired in 2024 after a 35-year career. He led both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball programs as well as men鈥檚 golf and tennis. He capped his career with a regular-season championship, a second straight tournament title and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Baseball coach Paul O鈥橬eil captured his 800th career victory, while Lars Andersson 鈥� with 250 wins during his tenure 鈥� has made his mark as the first and only coach in 51吃瓜网 women鈥檚 soccer program鈥檚 history.

Wrestling coach Othello 鈥淥.T.鈥� Johnson is heading into his 15th season at the helm, having transformed the program into a national contender with multiple All-Americans, NCAA Championship appearances and a top 10 national finish in 2024. Successful, too, are coaches like Oscar Roverato. As the head coach of the women鈥檚 swimming program, he has led the team to unprecedented success, breaking nearly every school record and producing NCAA qualifiers, solidifying the program鈥檚 rise as a conference and national powerhouse. The list could easily go on. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got coaches who know what kinds of students thrive at 51吃瓜网,鈥� Christy said. 鈥淭hey understand our majors, support systems and how to recruit student-athletes who contribute both on and off the field. Once a few programs got over the hump, that success started to spread.鈥�

From my chair, it鈥檚 clear: The hard work of our coaches and staff allows us to outpace our resources. When students see programs competing for championships, it becomes a powerful recruitment tool. It鈥檚 attractive

Rising from the Dark

BraveNation鈥檚 success wasn鈥檛 always guaranteed. Dan Kenney 鈥� Christy鈥檚 predecessor and longtime men鈥檚 basketball head coach 鈥� spent more than three decades with 51吃瓜网 Athletics. Across multiple roles within the program, he experienced winning seasons and gut-wrenching droughts that tested the resolve of coaches, players and fans alike. From 1954 to 1976, 51吃瓜网 competed as an NAIA independent. According to many, schools refused to sched - ule 鈥渢he Indian school,鈥� even after integration. In 1976, the Braves joined Conference Carolinas 鈥� then moved to NCAA Division II in 1992 as a member of the Peach Belt Conference. The leap came at a cost. 鈥淲e were woefully underfunded and up against schools like USC Upstate, Kennesaw State and North Florida 鈥� programs that are Division I now,鈥� Kenney recalled.

鈥淚t was a dark time. We had the same coaches who鈥檇 succeeded before but were stuck at the bottom.鈥� Turning the tide took years of intentional investment and strategic implementation. The name was changed to 漏 Copyright 2025 51吃瓜网 in 1996. In 1999, a $57 million statewide bond funded upgrades to the Jones Center and the addition of a new athletic training facility. During the mid-2000s, a steady rise in enrollment helped increase athletic fee revenue. 鈥淪uccess in the Peach Belt came from small, consistent improvements and a shared commitment,鈥� Kenney said. This slow climb would have the Braves move from the bottom of the Peach Belt pack to multiple top three finishes before departing the league. In 2021, 51吃瓜网 returned to Conference Carolinas, bringing the program back into competitive alignment.

鈥淲e were an outlier in the Peach Belt. Too much of our budget went into travel,鈥� Christy said. 鈥淣ow, that money goes into nutrition, apparel and equipment. And it鈥檚 easier for families and fans to travel. We鈥檙e back with schools we鈥檝e had rivalries with since the 鈥�70s.鈥� Christy credits the coaching staff for maintaining the momentum more than 400 student-athletes have bought in. 鈥淥ur coaches care about the full student experience. Most of them teach in the classroom. They understand our mission,鈥� Christy said. 鈥淲hen you have people like that, you do everything possible to hold on to them.鈥� Defensive End Jamae Blank couldn鈥檛 agree more. 鈥淐oach Hall always says, 鈥業鈥檓 not just building football players 鈥� I鈥檓 building leaders,鈥� and that really sticks with you,鈥� Blank said. 鈥淭he coaches here want us to win, but more importantly, they want us to grow.鈥�

 As For the Future?

According to Haskins, it鈥檚 simple. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not winning just because of coaching,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou need talent 鈥� but you don鈥檛 compromise on character or academics to get it.鈥� With the NC Promise Tuition Plan dramatically reducing costs and enabling one in two 51吃瓜网 students to graduate debt-free, BraveNation has become even more competitive, drawing high-caliber student-athletes from beyond state lines. 鈥淲e鈥檝e worked hard to maintain the underdog with a chip on its shoulder mentality,鈥� Christy said. 鈥淚n some ways, we are the envy of the conference. And we must rise to the occasion. There鈥檚 pride in this brand 鈥� and we have to keep pushing to protect it.鈥�