Bio

Chris Dorsey enters his eighth season as head coach of the Centenary men’s basketball program in 2024-25.

Dorsey, one of the top young coaches in the country, was named the 22nd head coach of the Gents in June of 2017 and has taken the program to new heights in his seven-year tenure. He is 102-72 with the Gents including an impressive 65-41 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. Centenary has now finished .500 or better in all seven seasons under Dorsey.

The Gents had one of their finest seasons in program history in 2023-24 as they won the SCAC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Centenary finished 17-12 overall and 9-7 in league play during the regular season. The Gents finished third in the conference behind Trinity University and the University of St. Thomas to earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament – one which the Maroon and White had the pleasure of hosting at the Gold Dome.

The Gents, hosting the SCAC Championship for the first time since 2016, were fueled by a frenzied crowd three days in a row as they defeated Schreiner University in the quarterfinals by a score of 76-75, St. Thomas in the semifinals (64-51), and defeated Colorado College in the title game by a score of 83-76. The quarterfinal win over Schreiner was Dorsey's 100^th in his Centenary tenure.

Centenary fell 58-41 to the nationally-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio on March 1 but held the high-scoring Prairie Wolves to their lowest number of points scored all season.

Centenary, as always under Dorsey's leadership, was an excellent defensive team as the Maroon and White held 15 of their 29 opponents to 70 points or less during the season and 10 to 65 points or less. The Gents have finished .500 or better in all seven seasons under Dorsey, have made three trips to the SCAC championship game along with four semifinal appearances and finished the season winners of eight of their final 11 games. The Gents finished 11-3 on their home court this season counting the regular season and conference tournament and are now 22-5 in their last 27 home games and have won 46 of 53 overall.

The Gents, as a team, averaged 73.9 PPG, shot 41.6 % from the floor, 32.8 % from beyond the arc, 70.5 % from the FT line, and averaged 33.9 rebounds per game and 11.4 assists/game. Centenary was once again a well-rounded team as the Maroon and White found themselves ranked nationally in multiple statistical categories on both sides of the ball:

Ranked 17^th in Turnover Margin (4.6)

Ranked 23rd in Turnovers Forced Per Game (16.8) and forced 488 total this season.

Tied for 74th in 3-point baskets made per game (8.7) with 251 made this season.

Ranked 64^th in Field-Goal Percentage Defense (40.8 %)

Ranked 78^th in Steals Per Game (8.6)

Five Gents earned All-SCAC honors - Senior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas), sophomore G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas), junior G Craig Collier (North Little Rock, Ark.), junior F Jakobi Greenleaf (Houston, Texas), and senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.). Thomas earned First-Team honors while the other four Gents earned Honorable-Mention recognition. Senior G Chrys Jackson (North Las Vegas, Nev.) was named to the 2023-24 SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.

Thomas posted another stellar season as he cemented himself as one of the top players in D3 program history. He earned All-conference honors for the fourth-straight season as he garnered First-Team All-SCAC honors and was named to the 2024 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team. He was named to the 2023-24 LSWA All-Louisiana Men's Basketball team, earning Honorable-Mention honors, as he was one of just six players from a non-division 1 school to make the team.

During the regular season he ranked fifth in the SCAC in scoring, third in rebounding, and second in assists in the regular season. He reached double figures a staggering 23 times (21 times in the regular season and twice in the conference tournament (and posted five double-doubles). Thomas ranked in the top 15 in the conference during the regular season in assist to turnover ratio, minutes played, defensive rebounds, blocked shots, FG %, steals, free throw %, and 3-point FG made during the regular season.

Thomas recorded six double-digit rebounding performances and scored 20+ points eight times highlighted by a career-high 34 points at Dallas on Dec. 2. Thomas averaged 33.6 minutes/game and played 38 or more five times. He hit multiple 3-point baskets in game 10 times, had two+ steals 19 times, two+ assists 23 times, and two+ blocked shots six times. He made 10 or more free throws in a game six times this season with a season-high of 15 in 18 attempts on Dec. 31 versus Colorado College. Thomas was named the SCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week twice this season.

In 2022-23, the Gents had one of their best seasons in program history as they finished 17-9 overall and 10-6 in conference play and earned the No. 3 seed in the SCAC Tournament. The Maroon and White made their 10th-straight appearance in the event where they defeated Southwestern in the quarterfinals before falling to host and No. 2 seed Trinity in the semifinals.

Centenary, as has become the norm under Dorsey, finished the season as one of the top defensive clubs in the country in division III. The Gents finished the regular season ranked 21^st nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 62.8 PPG, and in the top 55 in both field goal percentage defense and 3-point FG % defense. The Gents ranked 20^th nationally in turnover margin as they forced their opponents into an average of 19.9/game during the regular season.

Centenary also proved to be a very balanced team on both sides of the ball, as the Maroon and White finished the regular season in the top five in the conference in turnover margin, scoring defense, free throw %, steals, FG % defense, 3-point FG % defense, scoring margin, blocked shots, and 3-point FG made. The Gents finished the season holding 23 of their 27 opponents to 70 points or less, 60 or less 11 times, and to 55 or less 10 times.

Seth Thomas had an outstanding season as he was named to the D3hoops.com All Region Team, earning a spot on the Region 10 Second Team. He was one of seven players to make the Second Team and one of only 12 players to land on the Region 10 Team in the entire county.

He was the Gents' leading scorer and rebounder, named First-Team All-SCAC, received votes for Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, named to the 2023 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, recorded seven double-doubles and was named the SCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week three times during the regular season. Thomas was also named to the 2022-23 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Third Team.  

He reached double figures 23 times this season and did so in 17-straight games from Nov. 26-Feb. 4. Thomas joined the 1,000-point club on Feb. 14 at St. Thomas as he is now one of just 36 in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark … He joined the 500-rebound club on Jan. 29 against Texas Lutheran, as he becomes just the 19th player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds in a career.

Freshman G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas), junior G Braeden Board (Rayne, La.), and senior G Tykeem Singleton (Fort Worth, Texas) joined Thomas on the All-SCAC Team as all three earned Honorable-Mention honors and Beverly also landed on the All-Freshman Team.

Sharp-shooting senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) finished his career with 177 treys, as he is now in seventh place all-time in program history. He hit his 172^nd to tie former Gent Andrew Wisniewski on Jan. 10 at home against St. Thomas and went on to make five more during the season to take over seventh place.

Junior G Coby Harris (Lafayette, La.) was one of just eight SCAC men's basketball student-athletes to be named to the College Sports Communicators 2022 Academic All-District ®Team. This prestigious national award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on court and in the classroom. Junior G Chrys Jackson (North Las Vegas, Nev.) was selected as the Gents' representative on the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.

The Gents have appeared in the SCAC Tournament every season under Dorsey, winning one title in two appearances and have made it to at least the semifinals five times as the Maroon and White have established themselves as one of the top programs in the conference. The Gents have won 13 or more games in a season four times in Dorsey’s tenure and eight or more conference games four times.

Centenary’s 38 wins from 2017-21 season led the conference in that span and the Gents are now an impressive 34-18 in their last 52 conference games, regular season and conference tournament, dating back to Jan. 25, 2020. Centenary is also 51-16 overall at home under Dorsey a stellar 36-8 over the last four seasons.

The Gents finished 13-13 (7-9 in conference play) in 2021-22 and continued their impressive play at home as they went 9-3. Centenary advanced to the semifinals of the SCAC Tournament before falling to St. Thomas.

Senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.), Thomas and junior G Ralph Johnson (White Castle, La.) were named all-conference as Hall and Thomas earned spots on the Third Team and Johnson was an Honorable-Mention selection. Three Gents averaged double figures this season, led by senior F Jarrell Taylor (Leesville, La.) who finished at 11.4 PPG. Eight players averaged 6.4 PPG or better this past season, Taylor led the team in rebounding (5.3/game) and Thomas was next at 4.8. Hall and Thomas were each named SCAC Player of the Week during the season.

Centenary once again thrived on defense, ranking in the top five in the conference in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, 3-point FG % defense, turnover margin, and assist to turnover ratio. The Gents were also a top-five team in free throw %, blocked shots, and steals. Centenary was also an outstanding 3-point shooting team as the Maroon and White ranked in the top two in both 3-point FG % and 3-point FG's made. The Gents finished eighth in the country in turnover margin and tenth in the country in turnovers forced. Centenary also ranked 27^th in the nation in steals.

The Gents were not just a defensive team, though, as they won eight games by 21 or more points, four by 25 or more, and in a 14-day span in January Centenary won four games by 31 points or more. The Gents recorded a historic 105-69 win over Southwestern on Jan. 12 in the Gold Dome when they hit a program (and Gold Dome) record 22 three-point baskets, breaking the previous record of 20 three pointers in a game which happened on two prior occasions. Centenary also scored 100 points for the first time since a 111-109 overtime home win over Johnson and Wales on Dec. 1, 2017. Individual history was also made that night against Southwestern as Hall tied the single-game school record for three pointers by an individual as he drained nine treys in 14 attempts (64 %) and ended with a career-high 34 points. Hall's nine treys are also the most in a single game this past season by a SCAC player and his 34 points are the second-most points scored in a game by a SCAC player this season.

Dorsey led the Gents to their best season in the division III era and one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2019-20 as the Maroon and White won their first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, losing a heartbreaker, 83-81, at UT-Dallas. The Gents finished 18-10 overall and went 15-5 in SCAC play (13-5 during the regular season) as the Maroon and White set division III era program records for conference wins in a single season (15), winning streak (10), and home wins (10) in a single season as the Gents went 10-1 at home. The SCAC tournament title also marked the Gents' first men's basketball conference title since 1980 when the Maroon and White claimed both the regular season and conference tournament championships while a member of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now the Atlantic Sun Conference).

Dorsey was a featured speaker at the annual Louisiana High School Coaches Association (LHSCA) Summer Clinic in 2022.

Centenary dominated the SCAC postseason individual awards as Dorsey was named the 2019-20 SCAC Coach of the Year. Senior and Shreveport native Cedric Harris, one of the most accomplished players in Gents history, was named the 2019-20 SCAC Player of the Year, an All-SCAC First Team selection, and the 2020 SCAC Championships MVP. He was also named to the 2020 D3hoops.com South Region first team, one of just 15 players to earn that honor. as he ranks in the top 15 in all-time in scoring and rebounding and his 262 career three-point baskets ranks second all-time in program history and third-most in conference history. Harris concluded his career with 1,539 points, 13th-most in SCAC history.

Dorsey helped Centenary finish second in the SCAC in his first season (2017-18) and returned to the Tournament Championship game for the first time in three years. Travion Kirkendoll (First Team) and Cedric Harris (Second Team) were both named to the All-Conference squad, while Kirkendoll grabbed All-Region honors from both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and D3Hoops.com and third team All-Louisiana from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA). In his final game of the season in the SCAC Championship Game, Kirkendoll broke the conference scoring record. The Gents improved dramatically on the defensive end for 2017-18. Prior to Dorsey's arrival, Centenary finished last in the conference in defensive scoring, allowing 82.5 points per game. But in 2017-18, the Gents finished third in the conference, allowing only 73.7 points per game.

Dorsey’s second season (2018-19) saw the Gents start slow with a 1-6 record, but Centenary won 12 of its final 19 games to finish an even 13-13 and 10-6 in SCAC play to qualify for the SCAC Tournament for the seventh-straight season, which extended the longest current streak of tournament qualifications in the conference.

Dorsey came to Shreveport after spending three seasons at his alma mater, NCAA Division III Lyndon State in Vermont. From 2014-2017, Dorsey led the Hornets to an overall record of 33-45 and a 29-27 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) mark. During that time, he mentored three all-conference honorees and the 2015-16 NAC Rookie of the Year while guiding Lyndon State to three NAC Tournament berths and two semifinal appearances.

Under Dorsey’s tutelage, Lyndon State rose from the middle of the NAC to one of the best defensive teams in the conference, leading the conference in defensive three-point percentage and finished second in both points allowed and turnovers forced. Prior to his arrival, the Hornets ranked eighth in the NAC in points allowed, fourth in miscues forced, and sixth in defensive three-point percentage.

Prior to his stint at his alma mater, Dorsey spent 2012-13 as an associate head women’s basketball coach at the University of Virginia at Wise. He completely installed the offensive system for that season, as the Cavaliers averaged 78 points per game. Dorsey also designed the recruiting plan that saw UVA-Wise sign nine student-athletes.

After his graduation from Lyndon State, Dorsey spent four seasons as both the assistant men’s basketball coach and the strength and conditioning coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. During his first season, he helped the Eagles improve 11 wins to finish with an 18-10 record, the best in the program’s history. Daniel Webster also advanced to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference New England Basketball Tournament for the first time in school history.

In his time playing for the Hornets, Dorsey served as co-captain of the 2004-05 squad. That season, he helped Lyndon State post the best record in the history of the institution at 23-5. Dorsey was also named Lyndon State’s Male Athlete of the Year that same season after leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists per game (8.4).

Dorsey graduated with a bachelor’s in exercise science from Lyndon State in 2007 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in athletic leadership from Castleton. He and his wife Morgan, Centenary’s head women’s soccer coach, have three children.