Josh Pickens completed his seventh season at the helm of the Lawrence Technological University men's basketball coach in 2023-24 in record-breaking fashion. He is the second head coach in LTU's modern era (since 2013), joining the Blue Devils for the 2017-18 campaign after serving as an assistant coach at Midland University in Nebraska.
In each of the past four seasons, Pickens' squads have steadily improved from 6-10 in 2021, 12-15 in 2022 and 13-16 in 2023 to 20-10 in 2024. The Blue Devils reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1961.
Senior guard Brandon Beavers was the lone representative out of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference to be recognized as an NAIA All-America on the third team. Beavers, who became the school's all-time leading scorer in the modern era, also was named the 2024 WHAC Player of the Year and placed on the conference's all-defensive team.
For his part, Pickens was named the WHAC Co-Champion of Character Coach. He piloted LTU to a modern-day team record 20 wins, 3-1 record versus the NAIA Top-25 (4-3 against teams "receiving votes"), WHAC victories (15-7) and numerous statistical school records. LTU reached the WHAC Semifinals as a No. 5 seed.
Among the other team or individual records set or tied in 2023-24: 3-point field goals made (367, which was good for second in the nation), 3-point field goal (35.8) and field goal percentage (43.9) and assists (432).
In 2022-23, LTU went 13-16 overall and 9-12 in the rugged WHAC. Junior guard Andrew Rinn netted All-WHAC First Team honors, senior forward Gunnar Gustafson made the all-conference second team, and the program produced three 2023 Daktronics NAIA All-America Scholars.
During the 2021-22 season, the Blue Devils ended with an overall record of 12-15 and 9-11 in the WHAC under Pickens. He had one player earn all-conference first team, one All-Conference Second Team member, and one All-Freshman Team member. LTU was fifth in the NAIA for 3-point field goal attempts per game with 29.6 and eighth in the nation for treys made per game with 9.9.
Pickens spent two years as an assistant coach at Midland. While on that staff, the team went 16-14 during his first year with the program and improved to 21-10 in his second year. Midland made the national tournament in 2016-17 and finished in second place in the GPAC in 2016-17.
Before Midland, Pickens was an assistant coach at Ashford University where he helped recruit two All-Americans and numerous all-conference selections as the Saints made the NAIA Division II National Championship Tournament three times, advancing to the Round of 16 in 2015. He was a member of the coaching staff all five years that Coach Drake was at the helm as Ashford posted a combined 108-55 record.
Pickens, a native of Rockford, Illinois, began his collegiate playing career at Rock Valley Junior College before transferring to Ashford University for his junior season. At Rock Valley he was a two-time first-team all-conference selection. Following a two-year career at Ashford, where he was named team MVP as a senior, Pickens joined the coaching staff as a graduate assistant in the 2010-11 season.
Pickens earned his bachelor's degree in December of 2009 from Ashford before obtaining his master's degree in education and public policy while working as a graduate assistant.
He also serves as the University's Associate Athletic Director and Compliance Officer.
