Drew Riley begins his third season as an assistant coach on the Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball staff for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Under Riley’s guidance, three student-athletes have received SLC All-Conference honors.
In 2024-25, Riley helped the Lions achieve their third-straight winning season with a winning record in Southland Conference play, as well as a fifth-straight appearance in the Southland Conference Championship Tournament. Riley guided Jeremy Elyzee as the rookie was named SLC Freshman of the Year, the first Lion to earn the feat in program history.
Riley’s first season on the SLU staff saw the Lions finish with a 10-8 record in the Southland Conference, continuing a run of success that has seen Southeastern with a winning record in SLC play for three-straight seasons. Fifth-year senior Nick Caldwell reached 1,000 career points, secured All-Conference honors (First Team), selected All-Academic (First Team) and named SLC Student-Athlete of the Year. Brody Rowbury was also named All-Academic (First Team).
His first season in Hammond was also the fourth-straight where the Lions saw postseason action, clinching a berth in the SLC Championship Tournament.
A native of Jackson, Miss , Riley came to SLU after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Trinidad State College, a junior college in Colorado With Riley on staff, the Trojans won back-to-back region championships, including a 17-1 mark in region play this past season where the team was first in both offense and defense in the region. One of his players was named Second Team All-American.
Prior to that, he was on the staff at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas Tasked with leading the defense for his one season there, the Bulldogs were among the best in points allowed, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, blocks per game, and fouls committed while holding opponents under 70 points 18 times throughout the year.
His coaching career started at Hinds Community College in 2018. He received his Bachelor’s in general studies from Arkansas State where he was a member of the Red Wolves basketball team from 2016-2018, including a 20-win team in 2016-17 which featured an upset over Georgetown and won the Maui on the Mainland Tournament.
Riley has three children - a son, Kade, and two daughters, Karson and Alaina.
