Bio

The 2025-26 season marks Austin Downing’s first as head coach at Seward County Community College. Downing was hired to lead the Saints on March 31st, 2025.

Downing comes to Seward after spending the previous three seasons on staff at Barton Community College.

While in Great Bend, Downing and the Cougars won the 2023-24 NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball National Championship finishing 36-1 and 23-1 in KJCCC play. Across his three years at Barton, Downing helped the Cougars to an 86-19 overall record including 59-15 in Jayhawk Conference play.

The 2024-25 season saw Barton and Downing finish 26-9 overall and 17-7 in conference play, eventually making a second straight NJCAA National Tournament appearance. Four Cougar sophomores went on to sign with four year schools under Downing’s guidance.  

Downing’s first season as a full-time assistant coach was the year the Cougars claimed their first ever national championship. Barton won its final 27 games of the season winning the conference, region and national championships. The Cougars were the first national champion since 2004 to win all tournament games by double digits.

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.

Downing arrived to Barton via Lawrence Free State High School while running a player development company.

Born and raised in Atchison, Kan., 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 trained 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 Freshman 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.

Downing resides in Liberal with his wife Shannon and sons Kru and Kingston.