Bio

Austin “AD” Downing is in his second season as the assistant coach for the men’s basketball team and third overall after serving a season as a volunteer assistant coach in his initial season.

Over the two years with Downing on the bench, the Cougars have an overall 60-10 record, with his first official year as the full-time assistant coach helping Barton to the program’s first ever national championship.

The 2023-24 Cougars went 36-1, winning both the Jayhawk Conference and Region 6/Plains District Tournament titles before winning all four games of the 2024 NJCAA Division I Tournament by double digits for the ultimate crown.

Downing helped coach seven players to post-season accolades including the two-time KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year Cooper Jackson and NJCAA 2nd Team All-America selection Lajae Jones.

Volunteering for the 2022-23 season, Barton was picked seventh in the pre-season KJCCC coaches’ poll but surpassed all expectations with Downing’s assistance in finishing tied for second in the conference standings before coming up short in the Region/District title game concluding the year 24-9.

Downing saw four of his players receive post-season accolades led by Cougar Downing’s repeat 1st team with Mozae Downing-Rivers and Joseph Locandro landing on the 2nd team as Cooper Jackson earned his first Defensive Player of the Year honor.

A successful coach/ player who has enjoyed tremendous success at every step, Downing arrived to Barton via Lawrence Free State High School while running a player development company.

Born and raised in Atchison, KS, Downing started his freshman year at Atchison High School then his remaining three years at Eudora High School becoming a Class 4A-II state champion in 2014.

Downing then proceeded to start both years at Neosho County Community College from 2016-2018 under Head Coach Jeremy Coombs to end his JUCO career on the program’s Top-20 all-time scoring list.

Moving on to become the starting point guard at Quincy University, graduating in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management, Downing completed his career with All-MIAA honors at Emporia State University pursuing his master’s program in Health and Physical Education.

In 2021, Austin founded ThADowningway, a player development business, in memory of his grandfather, Matthew “Chic” Downing. Over the years, Downing has organized and coached a multitude of clinics for all ages, including a special needs population camp.

Downing personally trains over 50 clients in the Midwest area, working with individuals of various abilities and skill sets including high-level players at the NCAA level.

Coaching experience includes serving as an AAU Youth Basketball Coach under Wayne Simien Jr., a KU Basketball Hall of Famer, and as the Director of “Team Game Time,” a middle school AAU team.

At Lawrence Free State High School, Downing was the Freshmen Head Coach from 2021-2022, achieving a 15-4 record (10-2 in league play), and also served as a varsity assistant, helping the team achieve a 23-2 record (13-0 in league play) which included winning the Sunflower League, Class 6A Sub-State, Hays City Shootout, the McPherson Invitation championship, and finished third in the state with a school record of 23 wins.