The Lenoir–Rhyne Bears are the athletic teams that represent

Lenoir–Rhyne University Lenoir–Rhyne University is a private Lutheran university in Hickory, North Carolina. Founded in 1891, the university is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Academics The university i ...

, located in

Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city located primarily in Catawba County, with formal boundaries extending into Burke and Caldwell counties. The city lies in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the time of the 2020 census, Hickory's population was 43,490. Hickor ...

, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA). The Bears have primarily competed in the

South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...

since the 1989–90 academic year. Lenoir–Rhyne competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, and volleyball.

Conference affiliations

(1989–present)

Varsity teams

Baseball

Lenoir–Rhyne has had 7

Major League Baseball Draft The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...

selections since the draft began in 1965.

Football

Men's Lacrosse

On May 28, 2023, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Mercyhurst 20-5 in the NCAA Division II National Championship.

Notable alumni

Football

Perry Fewell Perry Fewell (born September 7, 1962) is an American football coach. He currently serves as the senior vice president of officiating administration for the National Football League's officiating department. Previously, he served as the defensive ...

Tommy Laurendine Thomas Laurendine (born ) is an American football coach. He is the offensive line coach at the United States Naval Academy, a position he has held since 2024. Laurendine served as the head football coach at Sewanee: The University of the South fr ...

Craig Keith Craig Carlton Keith (born April 27, 1971) is a former American football tight end who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers ...

John Milem John Ray Milem (born June 9, 1975) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Lenoir–Rhyne ...

Kyle Dugger Kyle Dugger (born March 22, 1996) is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lenoir–Rhyne. High school career Primarily playing basketball at Whitewater ...

Dareke Young Dareke Young (born June 4, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lenoir-Rhyne. Dareke went to Middle Creek High School in Apex, NC from 2014 ...

Men's basketball

Rick Barnes Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

Eddie Holbrook Eddie Holbrook is an American former college men's basketball head coach. He is best known for his tenure at Gardner–Webb University between 1964 and 1978. He was hired to coach Gardner-Webb when he was just 24-years old, and during his 14-yea ...

Men's soccer

Oriol Cortes Oriol Cortes (born 28 June 1989) is a Spanish footballer. Career Cortes began paying college soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2009. After finishing two years with the Bears, Cortes moved back to Spain, playing with both CE Júpiter and UE C ...

Aaron Wheeler Aaron Wheeler may refer to: * Aaron Wheeler (soccer) Aaron Wheeler (born May 11, 1988) is an American former professional soccer player. Career College and amateur Wheeler attended Patapsco High School in Dundalk, Maryland, who he led to the 20 ...

* Cameron Saul

References

External links

* {{NorthCarolina-sport-team-stub