Vaughn tabbed as next CU head women's basketball coach
Dec. 13—Cumberland vice president of athletics Ron Pavan has announced the hiring of Mark Vaughn as the next head women's basketball coach effective April 2024.
The Bethel assistant will replace Scott Blum, who will step down at the end of the current season after six years on Cumberland Square, it was announced last week.
"Mark brings a great deal of experience with coaching, recruiting, game management, and scouting at numerous colleges," Pavan said in a release. "Mark understands recruiting quality players to stay competitive in the Mid-South Conference and the NAIA. His goal is to own the backyard of Wilson County and the state of Tennessee which are the best high school girls basketball programs in the US."
Vaughn is in his fourth season as the assistant coach at Bethel University in McKenzie. In his tenure at Bethel, the Wildcats have made it to the NAIA National Tournament one time in 2022 making a run to the Round of 16 at the Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Wildcats have gone 52-42 since Vaughn has been the assistant coach with a 7-2 start to the season this year. They have had six players earn All-Mid-South Conference honors in his time including two first team selections.
His responsibilities at Bethel has been recruiting, scouting and training, as well as administrative work scheduling all travel for away contests and helping get the student-athletes through the NAIA clearing house.
"I want to thank Ron Pavan and President Paul Stumb for this amazing opportunity. Cumberland University is a special place with a lot of great people and I'm excited to join them," Vaughn said. "Since my coaching career started I've always dreamed of being able to coach at a university like Cumberland. Cumberland has a rich history in women's basketball and I look forward to being able to coach and lead a special group of young women on and off the court. I have a great responsibility to this university and to the women I have the opportunity to coach. I could not be more excited to be a part of CU!"
Prior to his time at Bethel, Vaughn was an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Shorter University in Rome, Ga., for the men. Before that he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Christian Brothers University in Memphis.
Vaughn was a four-year player at Bethel University graduating with a bachelor of science degree in physical education in May of 2015. He spent one year at Mid-Continent before transferring to Bethel.
He was a part of the first team at Bethel to make it to the NAIA National Tournament. He played in 93 career games for the Wildcats where he posted 745 career points, 297 rebounds and 155 assists.
