2008-09 Men's Basketball Coaches

Sam Harris, the dean of coaches in the TranSouth Conference, begins his 16th season at the helm of the Trevecca program. Harris has led the program to four NAIA National Tournament appearances and a pair of TranSouth Championships. Four of his players have been selected as NAIA All-Americans, five have been named honorable-mention all-American, two have been elected to the TNU Athletic Hall of Fame, two have been named TranSouth Player of the Year, and many more have been selected all-conference. Harris has led three teams to the NAIA Sweet 16.

Harris, Trevecca's eighth men's basketball coach, has eight consecutive winning seasons, with a 41-19 record in TranSouth Conference play and an overall record of 93-39 for the last four years. This past season he surpassed the 400 career win milestone. He now has 410 career wins with 249 of those wins coming at Trevecca.

Harris, in his 26th season as a head coach on the collegiate level, has rebuilt three programs in his career. He has led all three schools to the conference title and post- season play after taking over a program that was below .500 the year before he was named head coach.

A 1978 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University, Harris starred alongside his brother Steve Harris, while playing for former Trevecca coach Frank Wilson at Olivet. After graduation Harris was an assistant coach at Judson College in Elgin, Ill. He inherited a program that was 15-110 during the previous six years and by the third year led the team to a 18-10 record. In his fourth year, Judson produced a district championship and a berth in the NCCAA National Tournament and a 24-7 finish.

In 1984 Harris moved to NCAA Division-1 Central Florida as an assistant coach and then moved to Valparaiso University as an assistant before taking the head coach position at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., in 1988. Harris took a 6-82 program and won the conference championship in his third season with a 15-10 record. For his efforts he was named the MAC Conference Coach of the Year.

Sam and his wife, Donna, have two sons, Tyson and Christopher, and live in Brentwood.

Josh Helton, returns to the court for the Trojans. This time as an assistant coach.

Helton will serve the staff in all areas of the program but is primarily involved in scouting and player development. His knowledge of the game and his insights of the system allow him to help players understand what it takes for them to be successful on and off the floor for the Trojans.

Helton, a native of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., played four years for the Trojans, 2003-08. He helped lead the Trojans to one of there best four year periods of men's basketball. He played in three NAIA National Tournaments and saw each of those teams make the Sweet 16. He was named NAIA Honorable Mention and was selected to the NAIA All-Tournament team. Helton was named to the TranSouth All-Freshmen team. His sophomore year he was named to the TranSouth Second Team. He was named All-TranSouth First Team his junior and senior season.

Helton, a standout player for Mt. Juliet High School, is married to former Trojan soccer player Courtney Helton. They live in Mt. Juliet with their daughter Lily.

Chris Hight returns for his fourth year with the Trojans, after coaching stints at Lambuth University and Overton High School. Chris continues to serve the staff in many areas but his primarily concentration is with the shooting camps, summer camps, scouting and recruiting. His knowledge and the relationships he builds with the players allows Chris to help each player become successful on and off the court for the Trojans.

Hight played college basketball for NCAA Division-1 Georgia State University, Aquinas College, and Lambuth University. He was an all-conference performer his senior year.

Hight, who had a standout high school career in Nashville, currently resides in Nashville.

Mike Petrone, has been with Trevecca for nine years. He has coached at the collegiate level and several high schools all in the Middle Tennessee region.

His high school coaching stints include: Father Ryan, Centennial, and White House-Heritage, while collegiate stops were at Vanderbilt, Cumberland and Trevecca.

Coach Petrone brings great insight into player development, scouting and preparation. He is willing to help each player and help them be successful.

Petrone and his wife, Donna, reside in Nashville.