Georgetown College Tigers Win NAIA Title

Kansas City, Mo. – (March 27, 2019) It’s not as though Georgetown College (Ky.) didn’t already have enough incentive to win the NAIA Men’s Div. I Basketball Championship. The Tigers were eliminated last year in the quarterfinals to the eventual runners-up, so this year would be about redemption.

Then in December came devastating news on a personal level for the team – longtime friend and honorary coach for the last 16 years of the NAIA tournament Jim Kissick had died suddenly in Kansas City. 

Winning last night, 68-48 against the Carroll College Fighting Saints, the Tigers not only won the title but honored Kissick. His son David was on the bench as their honorary coach, having drafted the team as his a couple of weeks ago. 

The honorary coaches, many of whom are longtime supporters just like Kissick, go to practice with the teams, sit on the bench during games, are in the locker room and take them out to at least one meal while the team is in town for the tournament. 

The program promotes not only Kansas City, but a warm camaraderie and tie between the community and the teams, many of which are far from home without much of a fan base or cheering section accompanying them to Municipal Auditorium for games. It’s often cost prohibitive for the cheerleaders and pep bands from NAIA schools to travel to the tournament, let alone students, alumni or players’ families. 

“The program really highlights the bond the NAIA has with Kansas City in general and the business community specifically,” said Jim Carr, NAIA president and CEO. “Jim Kissick was just the epitome of all of it and everything the NAIA is.” 

Georgetown Coach Chris Briggs had become particularly close to Jim Kissick through the years. He felt the loss throughout this year’s tournament. 

“It was strange not having him at the end of the bench or in the locker room,” Briggs said. “He would have been so proud of the way this team played and even more proud of the way they represented themselves and the College.”

About The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs dedicated to championships in balance with the overall college educational experience. Each year more than 65,000 NAIA student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports, earn over $600 million in scholarships, and compete for a chance to participate in 26 national championships. www.naia.org | @NAIA