Lakeland girls basketball has hired former college coach Brandon Auker to take over the program, a press release from the school said April 14.
Auker is from Evansville originally and played college basketball at Elmhurst College, where he was a team captain.
“I knew I wanted to coach at the age of nine or ten,” said Auker in the release. “After a five-year college coaching career and a brief time away to focus on my young family, my faith led me back to the gym. I was looking for a place where I could make a real impact at the high school varsity level, and Lakeland was the perfect fit.”
He began his coaching career at the University of Indianapolis, then moved on to Loras College in Iowa. He later became the Associated Head Coach of the womens basketball program at Bethel.
“I have always yearned for a school where support is both vertical and horizontal—a true family environment,” Auker said in the school’s press release. “I’m stoked to take the program built by so many amazing coaches and families and elevate it to a level that every former Laker can be proud of.”
Auker helped coach All-Conference players at all stops, and at Loras, helped coach the D3Hoops.com West Region Rookie of the Year.
At Lakeland, Auker replaces James Benson who spent three seasons leading the Lakers. Benson was 19-50 during that time. Lakeland’s last winning record season was 13-11 under Dale Gearheart in 2022-2023. The program last won a Sectional title in 2021, also under Gearheart, while going 21-8.
Auker will be the eighth different Lakeland girls basketball head coach in the last 25 years.
Lakeland is coming off a 9-14 season and will graduate leading scorer Dulce Canedo, as well as fellow senior Katelyn Ryan.
Outside of the two seniors, the Lakers are expected to bring everyone else back. Zoey Bowman is a senior-to-be that led the program in rebounds (6.9), assists (3.3) and shared the lead in steals (3) last season. She will be the leading returning scorer at 9.1 points per game. Also back is Bowman’s classmate McKenzie Carlson (7.1 ppg). The rest of Lakeland’s roster was made up of freshmen and sophomores this past season.
Six total players return that played in 20 or more contests for Lakeland last season.
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