Aubrey wins AAC coach of character award

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (May 18, 2020) -- Rich Aubrey of the Milligan women's basketball team has been named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of Character following his 27th and final season this past semester. The AAC league office announced the award Monday afternoon.

"I'm so thankful to the AAC and to Milligan for the on-going commitment to helping us all develop character as we try to compete at a high level," Aubrey said. "I'm especially thankful to this year's team for a great journey. We all learned from each other, and they'll always have a special place in my heart."

Aubrey, the 2013 NAIA national coach of character, modeled what it means to be a coach of character in the face of adversity. His team lost two starters to preseason injury, then endured five concussions, two serious knee injuries and two more serious ankle injuries. A third starter missed half the season. Despite this adversity, Aubrey led his team with perseverance as the Buffs went on a winning streak of six games in January before ending the season on a high note with a run in the postseason tournament. There, Aubrey's team knocked off top-seeded Bryan, which had not lost to a conference opponent in 56 games, and advanced to the championship final, finishing the season as the AAC tournament runner-up.

Aubrey and his team also were active off the court, completing several annual service projects and fulfilling duties that benefit the community. They visited local hospitals, including Niswonger Children's Hospital where they made room-to-room visits to encourage children and families. They took part in Night to Shine, part of the Tim Tebow Foundation which is committed to celebrating people with special needs. Additionally, the team put on basketball clinics for adults and children with special needs. This year, senior Hannah Rodgers initiated Valentines for Veterans, a project that involved delivering notes of encouragement to patients at the VA hospital.

Members of Aubrey's team consistently model the behavior of champions of character. The team received no ejections or technical fouls throughout the course of the season, modeling respect and sportsmanship, and Aubrey's players performed several of their own servant-leadership projects. Finally, Aubrey's team dependably stands near the top of the academic list, with six players earning AAC All-Academic, co-leading the conference in that category. Following the 2018-19 season, the team ranked No. 1 at Milligan with a 3.53 team GPA.