LEBANON, Ill. — Head Men's Basketball Coach George Suggs is pleased to announce two additions to his coaching staff, along with one significant promotion from last year's team to a new title.
Randy Baruth, who spent last year as an assistant coach for the Bearcats, has now been elevated to associate head coach. Caleb Burton returns to the sidelines as a student assistant coach, while Alex Baughman has been named the program's graduate assistant coach.
RANDY BARUTH
Baruth had an immediate impact on the McKendree staff last season after bringing in a wealth of experience in the coaching realm, including most recently a 13-year tenure as head coach at Saginaw Valley State University.
"Randy was integral to our success last season and has been an incredible addition to our basketball and McKendree community, said Suggs. "His new title is reflective of his value to our program and our trust in his leadership on our coaching staff. As a leader, he brings consistent energy, enthusiasm for our players, and a high standard for his work and the work of others. It was very important to me that we recognize his value and his new title reflects that."
The new associate revamped the Bearcats' defensive structure to new heights during the 2025-26 season, most notably finishing third in all of NCAA Division II in field goal percentage defense (38.3% allowed) and ninth in scoring defense (64.1 points per game allowed), including ranking first in the nation in both categories a few times throughout the regular season.
Baruth helped lead the program into uncharted territory since its NCAA membership, as the team was ranked as high as 23rd twice in the NABC Coaches Poll while receiving several votes other times across the majority of the regular season. He was instrumental in the guidance of Andrew Moore accumulating GLVC Freshman of the Year while bolstering program-bests with two first team all-conference and three all-defensive team selections.
Last year's team clinched the most wins in its NCAA-era with a 22-8 record, also their best conference output with a 14-6 mark, and made it to the semifinals of the GLVC Tournament.
CALEB BURTON
Burton returns to the club after completing his playing career with the Bearcats, where he spent the last two years in McKendree purple and was viewed as one of the school's most well-respected teammates.
"Caleb obviously knows our program well, and we feel very fortunate that he wants to remain a part of it in this new role," said Suggs. "As a player, he was tough, competitive, and passionate about the success of others. My expectation is that he continues to bring all those same qualities in his new role on our staff. He knows as well as anyone what it takes to be successful in our program, and it is my hope he can pass those lessons on to our current and future players."
Prior to joining the McKendree family in the fall of 2024, Burton spent two seasons at in-state Black Hawk College, an NJCAA Division II member in Moline, Illinois. With the Bearcats, he tabbed a total of 101 points and 37 rebounds in 32 games played. He started 32 of 37 games played with the Braves and averaged approximately 13 points per outing, including his career-high 31 points vs. Milwaukee Area Technical College on January 14th, 2023.
Off the floor, the McKendree alum arguably had a greater impact, as he was recently the athletic department's male winner of the GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award after distinguishing himself with ethical behavior both on and off the court. In addition, Burton was a recipient of the conference record-setting GLVC All-Academic honors for his contributions in the classroom.
ALEX BAUGHMAN
Baughman joins the fold in Lebanon after spending the last four years as head student manager with the men's basketball program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Simultaneously, he worked towards earning his Bachelor of Science in secondary history education with a coaching minor.
"Alex is going to be a really important part of our coaching staff, said Suggs. "He is a relentless worker who cares deeply about relationships, and I believe he has all the tools to become a great coach. His level of care was noticed from the second he stepped on campus, and our players responded to it immediately. We look forward to seeing how he contributes to our program."
Baughman is an experienced leader in both academic and extracurricular settings, serving as chief of staff for the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). He is a Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation (HOBY) volunteer and a dedicated volunteer in the Christian community. Furthermore, he has been recognized as a Golden Apple Scholar of Illinois and a 2025 legacy published research author.
In the basketball landscape, he was a four-year player for Carbondale Community High School from 2018-2022. He was also a coach for 7th/8th grade basketball at Carbondale Junior Sports from 2023 to 2025.
With the completion of both roster and staff, the program now looks to finalize its upcoming 2026-27 season schedule, which will be announced in the near future.
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