2012-13 Men's Basketball
TransouthPct.OverallPctStreakHomeAwayNeutral
5-5.50018-14.563Lost 15-49-94-1
Coaches
Winston Bennett
Head Coach- 6th Season
 
     Mid-Continent University men's basketball coach Winston Bennett begins his sixth season on the Mid-Continent bench, after being tabbed to lead the program in May of 2007.  He also is a popular motivational speaker in Kentucky and surrounding states.
 
   In his previous five years as the MCU head coach, Bennett has led the Cougars to a 73-89 record. During that span, Bennett's Cougars have also claimed an NCCAA Mid-east Regional title (2010), and a third place finish at the NCCAA National Tournament (2010), while appearing in one TranSouth Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game (2012). Including three seasons as head coach at Kentucky State (2000-03; 44-43), Bennett now has a career record of 117-132.
 
    Bennett came from Louisville's Male High School in 1984, and moved on to the University of Kentucky, where he played four seasons (1984-88) for legendary coaches Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton.  Bennett was a member of the Wildcats' Final Four squad in 1984.  In 133 games, he averaged 10.5 points and ranks 20th in UK history with 1,399 points and averaged 7.8 rebounds per game as a senior in 1987-88.  He still ranks fifth in career free throws made with 368 and seventh in career free throw attempts with 516. The Wildcats won 93 and lost 33 during his playing career, and won 69 and lost just 7 during his two seasons as an assistant coach.
 
     Bennett was drafted in the third round (64th overall) by the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA and played for three seasons for the winningest coach in NBA history, Lenny Wilkens. He averaged 4.8 points in 134 games for the Cavs from 1989-92, and averaged 10.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 5 playoff starts in the 1989-90 season. He later joined the Miami Heat for 2 games in 1991-92. In 136 career NBA games, including 92 starts, he averaged 4.8 points and 3 rebounds per game.
 
     Coach Bennett began his coaching career as an assistant at his collegiate alma mater in 1995, under Rick Pitino, one of the most successful collegiate coaches in history.  While coaching with Pitino, the Wildcats won the 1996 NCAA Championship and were runners up in 1997.  After the 1996-97 season, Bennett followed Coach Pitino to the NBA as an assistant for the Boston Celtics.
 
     In 2000, Bennett received his first college head coaching opportunity when he was hired by Kentucky State University and immediately led the Thorobreds to the 2000-2001 SIAC championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II South Regional.  KSU posted a 17-13 record in his first season and then went 14-14 in 2001-02 and 13-16 in 2002-03.
 
     He has been married to Peggy Bennett since 1990, and they have a son, Leontay, and three daughters, Princess, Jasmine, and Stephanie, and a granddaughter. The Bennett family resides in Paducah, Kentucky.
 
 
Howard Dillard
Assistant Coach- 5th Season
 
     Howard Dillard, Jr. returns for fifth season as Mid-Continent University's assistant men's basketball coach and became a full-time member of MCU's athletics staff in August, 2010.  Dillard coaches the Cougars' junior varsity squad and serves primary assistant varsity coach as well.  While MCU offers Dillard his first collegiate coaching experience, he has been coaching high school and junior high school basketball in Kentucky for the past eight seasons.
 
    He received his first taste of coaching at Graves County High School in 2000 as an assistant coach. After two years at Graves County, he became assistant coach at Murray High School for one season. The following year Howard began coaching at Hickman County High School, his hometown high school. He served as junior high head coach and assistant coach of Hickman County's high school boys' basketball team for two years before putting in two years at Fulton City High School as assistant coach of the high school boys' team and head coach of the junior high boys' basketball team.
 
    During his 11-year career, Howard helped bring five league championships to four schools.
 
    Dillard was born in Clinton, Kentucky, September 1, 1979, and is the son of Howard and Frances Dillard, Sr., who still reside in Clinton with his three sisters, Wynita Dillard-Carter, Christina and Tamra.  Dillard and his wife, Crystal, reside in Murray, Kentucky.
 
 
Adam Parrott
Assistant Coach- 1st Season

Adam Parrott joins the Mid-Continent University staff for the 2012-13 season as an assistant to men's basketball coach Winston Bennett. Parrott brings with him a variety of coaching experience, and a trio of state championships at the high school level. In addition, Parrott has ample experience in pastoral and discipleship roles at several different churches.

Parrott, who hails from the Dalton, Ga. Area, began his coaching career at the high school level during the 1998-99 season, when he took the reins of the Christian Heritage School (Ga.) Lions. Parrott was the first varsity basketball coach for the Lions, and in just his third season on the bench, he led the Lions to the Tennessee Association of Christian Schools (TACS) state title. The title proved to be the first of back-to-back crowns, as the Lions successfully defended their crown the following season. Parrott - who was also the Lions' Athletic Director - served at the school until the end of the 2006 season. During that time, he was also the Youth Pastor at Community Life Church.

For the next two seasons, Parrott plied his craft in North Carolina, taking a position at High Point Christian Academy. He was the head coach for the Cougars for both seasons, and at the end of the 2007-08 campaign, Parrott headed back to Northwest Georgia. Living back in Dalton, Parrott took a job as an assistant coach at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tenn. At the same time, he was also the middle school youth pastor at Dalton's Liberty Baptist Church.

After spending just a single season back in Dalton, Parrott moved on to take over as the Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach at Monclova Christian Academy near Toledo, Ohio. Again, Parrott spent only one season at MCA, but this time, he was able to lead his team to the top once again. Parrott and the MCA Thunder took the ACSI Division 4 State Crown, the third state title of Parrott's career. While coaching at MCA, Parrott was also the College Pastor at Monclova Road Baptist Church. He left Monclova after the season, spending the 2010-11 academic year as the Youth Pastor at Peytonsville Baptist Church in Thompson's Station, Tenn.

As a head coach, Parrott has compiled a record of 276-123 in 10 years at the helm of three different schools.

"I'm thrilled to get the opportunity to come to a place in Mid-Continent where I can continue to combine my love for basketball, with my passion for reaching kids for Christ," Parrott said. "It is truly a blessing to get to have the opportunity to do both, and I am looking forward to succeeding in both aspects of this job throughout the year."

Parrott and his wife Lisa reside in Mayfield with their daughter Krystin (7).