BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball Assistant Coach Nate Laing has been named to Silver Waves Media's 2026 Most Impactful/Influential Mid-Major Assistant Coaches list, recognizing outstanding assistant coaches in mid-major men's college basketball.
Now in its eighth year, the annual list is compiled following consultation with a panel of industry professionals. The recognition highlights assistant coaches making an impact across mid-major basketball, with numerous previous honorees going on to become NCAA Division I head coaches.
Laing enters his second season on The Hill in 2026-27 after joining the Hilltopper coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He previously spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Portland State, helping the Vikings to back-to-back winning seasons from 2023-25. Portland State finished 19-13 in 2024-25 and placed third in the Big Sky Conference.
Prior to his time at Portland State, Laing served as an assistant under current Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona at Indian Hills Community College in 2022-23. He helped guide the program to a 29-5 overall record and a semifinal appearance at the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament.
Laing also spent three seasons at Northwest Florida State College, serving as an assistant coach and interim head coach while helping the Raiders capture the 2021-22 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. His responsibilities included recruiting, scouting and player development, along with managing day-to-day program operations, community engagement events and fundraising initiatives.
Laing began his coaching career at Kentucky Wesleyan during the 2018-19 season following a collegiate playing career at Jax State and UCF. At Jax State, he served as a team captain and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative. He completed his playing career under head coach Johnny Dawkins at UCF, where he received the Most Inspirational Award and Coaches Award and again served as a SAAC representative.
Laing earned his bachelor's degree in human resource management from Jacksonville State and his master's degree in career and technical education from UCF.
The Hilltoppers conclude preseason play with a neutral-site game against Indiana in Evansville, Indiana, on Sunday, Oct. 25. Tipoff inside the Ford Center is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT, with the game airing on B1G+. Tickets to the exhibition can be purchased HERE.
Season tickets for WKU Hilltopper Basketball are on sale now for the 2026-27 season, with men's basketball season tickets starting at $75 per seat, plus an additional HAF donation. Fans can secure seats by purchasing HERE, calling 1-800-5-BIGRED or visiting the WKU ticket office at E.A. Diddle Arena.
How to follow WKU Hilltopper Basketball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKUBasketball on Instagram and X.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CHAMPIONS CLIMB HERE
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
