Kevin Lyons was elevated to interim head coach of the Converse women's basketball program in late July 2025. He is the program's ninth head coach in its NCAA era, dating back to the 2002-03 season. Lyons will serve in the role for the 2025-26 season.
Kevin Lyons joined the Valkyries' staff prior to the 2024-25 season, his second full-time season as a college assistant coach. With Lyon’s assistance, the 2024-25 Valkyries finished top 10 in program history in wins, total points and points allowed. The Valkyires’ defense finished top two in program history in opponent points per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Lyons joined the staff after last being an assistant coach at Newberry College, just under an hour drive from Converse University. With the Wolves, Lyons focused on developing post players, a position the Valkyries have excelled at in recent seasons. He increased the scoring output of Newberry’s 2023-24 starting center by almost 10 points per game from the season prior while helping her snag an extra three rebounds and become much more efficient shooting from the field and the free throw line. With Lyon’s assistance, that center transferred to Division I University of Northern Colorado.
“Kevin is a high energy coach who is passionate about the game. We’re excited to welcome him to the Converse family,” stated former Converse head coach and Lyon's predecessor Samantha Davidson upon Lyons' hiring. “He is a skilled post-player development coach and is going to be a great addition to our program!”
Lyons graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he was an administrative assistant and scout team player for head coach Dawn Staley’s powerhouse Gamecocks. During his four seasons with the Gamecocks, he helped develop some of the country’s best players, including the NCAA National Player of the Year, Aliyah Boston, and eight current WNBA players. Lyons was one of seven scout team players retained by Staley during the COVID-restricted 2020 season. Lyons was also a scout team player for the 2022 National Championship team.
After college, Lyons transitioned to an administrative assistant, helping Staley and her staff recruit the highest level of athletes in the country and internationally. He helped the players during workouts, team practice and shootarounds while retaining some of his in-game bench responsibilities. Proving his value to the Gamecocks over four years, Lyons traveled to the NCAA Division I Final Four with the team in 2023. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina in May 2023.
Lyons served as the head coach for the University of South Carolina women’s club basketball team and worked as a shot clock operator for the men’s team’s summer camps.
Off of the basketball court, Lyons spent his summers as an equipment intern around the South Carolina athletics department. He worked with both basketball teams and the volleyball team before working his way to the Gamecocks’ football team in summer 2022. He also has experience refereeing and served as a FIT instructor at Newberry College.
Lyons is an Eagle Scout with two silver palms, an award he earned on June 7, 2018.
