After 12 years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level, Nick Long has been hired as the head coach for the women’s basketball program at Ouachita Baptist University.
Long comes to Ouachita following a 13-year career working in college and high school basketball in the state of Louisiana, including stops at three different NCAA Division I programs.
Most recently, he was an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe for the past two seasons (2023-25) following a seven-year stint as the director of basketball operations at nearby Louisiana Tech University (2016-23). He began his career in basketball as a graduate manager and director of operations for the Northwestern State University men’s basketball program from 2012-15.
In between Northwestern State and Louisiana Tech, Long was as an assistant boys basketball coach at Ouachita Parish High School in Louisiana during the 2015-16 season.
“It is an incredible honor to be named the next head women’s basketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University,” said Long. “Thank you to President Ben Sells and Director of Athletics David Sharp for the great opportunity to lead this program. The Ouachita community is second to none, and it already holds a special place in our family. We are excited to begin this next chapter at such an outstanding university.”
Long’s wife, Emory (Clayborn), graduated from Ouachita in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. The Longs have been married since 2017 and have a four-year-old daughter named Alden.
“We are excited to have Coach Long join our athletic staff,” said Ouachita Director of Athletics David Sharp. “He has proven himself to be an excellent contributor on three different staffs at the NCAA Division I level. He comes highly recommended from coaches that have built winning programs the right way. His relationships in Ouachita’s footprint will serve our program well from a recruiting perspective. “
At ULM, Long’s responsibilities included coaching post players, assisting with academic success, coordinating apparel, coordinating video operations, scouting, scheduling, and recruiting. He helped the Warhawks secure their first winning season since 2011 with a 21-14 finish in the 2023-24 season, which included a trip to the WNIT in the program’s first national postseason appearance since 1994. During his tenure on staff at ULM, the team earned seven all-conference selections.
Former ULM head coach Missy Bilderback, who was recently hired as the head coach at Southern Miss, lauded Long as a “home run hire for Ouachita.” Bilderback went on to say, “Nick is an awesome person with impeccable character. During our time in Monroe, he was a critical part of our success. He is a student of the game – an exceptional Xs and Os coach – and has worked his way through the ranks of college coaching. He will impact his players beyond the court, and his family will be an incredible addition to the community.”
At LA Tech, Long was responsible for team travel, coordinating housing, coordinating apparel, scouting, video operations, academic monitoring, assisting with scheduling, and overseeing student managers. During his time in Ruston, the Lady Techsters qualified for the WNIT four times, including the 2021-22 season featuring a Conference USA West Division championship with a final record of 22-13.
During his one season at Ouachita Parish High School, Long helped the Lions advance to the semifinals of the 5A state tournament with a final record of 23-12. Two of the players on that team received NCAA Division I scholarships.
In Long’s first job as graduate manager and director of operations for the men’s team at Northwestern State, he assisted with most areas of the program and was a part of the Demons’ 2013 Southland Conference tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance with a final 23-9 record that year.
“A diamond in the rough” is how now-retired Northwestern State men’s basketball coach Mike McConathy described Long. “Nick has his priorities in place. He places the correct emphasis in the areas that will allow him to be very successful… Possibly one of his greatest assets is his ability to be a tremendous team player within the university’s athletic department.”
The Monroe native stayed home for his undergraduate degree, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from ULM (2012). He later earned a master’s degree in sport administration from Northwestern State (2014).
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