Braden Lamar enters his third season with the Southern Utah men's basketball program in 2026-27 and his first as an assistant coach, making him one of the youngest Division I assistant coaches in the country.
Lamar's rise on the Thunderbirds' bench has been quick. He joined the staff as a graduate assistant for the 2024-25 season and was promoted to special assistant to the head coach for 2025-26. He specializes in player development and scouting upcoming opponents, and he oversees the team's travel operations. Lamar has also trained numerous high-level college and professional players.
His connection to head coach Rob Jeter goes back to his playing days. Lamar played his final season of collegiate basketball at Western Illinois under Jeter and graduated from WIU before joining him at SUU.
Before college, Lamar starred at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, one of the nation's premier prep programs. He won four straight state championships, was a starter on a nationally ranked top-10 team, earned all-district honors and competed in the GEICO Nationals tournament.
Since arriving in Cedar City, Lamar has earned two master's degrees from SUU: a Master of Arts in Professional Communication and a Master of Business Administration.
Lamar's parents, Luis and Julie, live in Las Vegas, as does his girlfriend, Jaquelyn. His older brother, Christian, lives in Reno, Nevada.
