Главный тренер Austin Peay Кори Гипсон формирует уникальную культуру университета, основанную на связи с военным сообществом

Corey Gipson is an Austin Peay man through and through. In his two seasons as a player, the Governors never lost a home game, went to the NCAA Tournament in 2003, and completed a perfect 16-0 campaign in the OVC in 2004. He returned to the program as an assistant coach from 2012-15, and when the opportunity to return as head coach came in 2023, he knew coming home was the right decision. Wearing the culture: How Corey Gipson’s fashion shapes Austin Peay’s identity The Governors’ head coach sports one of the nation’s most unique looks on gameday. His program and community embody it. In preparation for his homecoming, he and his wife, April, wanted to make sure they returned with a purpose beyond basketball. “We did a lot of praying, and one thing we prayed about is that we wanted to make sure that we were the right type of community leaders for Montgomery County,” Gipson told Mid-Major Madness. “We wanted to be the right type of servant leaders, but we also wanted to shed the right type of light and bring awareness to the demographic of Montgomery County.” Around 38,000 veterans and their families reside in the county, while Fort Campbell, about a 30-minute drive north of campus, is home to roughly 32,000 service members with more than 50,000 family members. The demographics of Austin Peay are a direct reflection of the area’s military ties, with 35% of students having a military affiliation. Gipson himself has not served in the military, but when he returned to his alma mater, he wanted to represent the large population surrounding campus that has, as well as the students at his university with military ties. That’s how arguably the most unique sideline fashion tradition in the country was born. Truly embracing the military culture of Clarksville, Tenn., and Montgomery County as a whole, Gipson sports a full military uniform when his team takes the floor, and it’s turned heads around the country. Wearing a military uniform wasn’t just something Gipson decided was fitting. As someone who hasn’t served, he felt called to verify the gesture would be well received, which is why he ran the idea by retired Army Maj. Gen. Walt Lord, Austin Peay’s vice president for military and veteran affairs. “When coach did talk with me about the idea of wearing a military uniform in honor of them, first of all, I was not only proud, but I was impressed because a lot of folks, I think, would probably just go ahead and do it, assuming it was the right thing to do,” Lord told Mid-Major Madness. “Coach did his homework to confirm that it was the right thing to do, and what I shared with Coach was, I believe, that you absolutely should do this based on who we are and where we are.” Lord offered just a few minor suggestions. He recommended that Gipson leave the unit patches on either sleeve blank and not include a rank. He also helped acquire nameplates that read “APSU” and “Coach Gip” so the uniform feels personal to Gipson, even though that’s the last of Gipson’s concerns. With Lord’s help, Gipson’s uniform was brought to life, and the reception from the local community has been nothing but positive. “It really has become a major part of our ecosystem here,” Gipson said. “When I go into the community, when I go into the grocery store, when I have speaking engagements, everybody wants to have a conversation about it, and it gives me an opportunity to bring awareness to those still serving and those that have served.” Given how the community has embraced the tradition, Gipson said it would be “foreign” to fans if he wore anything else on gameday. Despite the support from the Austin Peay fan base, Gipson’s attire has drawn some criticism, including accusations of stolen valor. This isn’t an issue with Austin Peay. Neither the university, its fans, nor the surrounding community takes offense at Gipson’s fashion because they know why he does it, but to those unfamiliar with the story, it can seem performative. In truth, performative is the last word to describe the relationship between Gipson, his program, and the military, and it’s the last word to describe his game-day look. The military uniform isn’t something he wears when he knows the game is on national television; it’s what he wears every game. “Stolen valor, by definition, is pretending to be something you’re not,” Lord said. “That is absolutely 180 degrees out from what Coach Gip does when he puts on that uniform for game time. He’s not trying to pretend to be something he’s not. The uniform doesn’t portray that. What it portrays is the heartfelt homage that he pays to our community and our university and that military and veteran population.” While the motivations behind the tradition aren’t known on a national level, Gipson has the best of intentions when it comes to his military uniform, and his appreciation for service men and women is exuded throughout the entire program. “We just want to bring awareness to those who are serving and those who have served, and what they do for our country,” Gipson said. “It’s truly a commitment. It’s special. It’s a great deal of sacrifice, right? And if we have to be the sacrificial lambs for bringing awareness to that, we’re willing to be that, but it’s amazing how the young men that we have in the program have really gravitated towards those that are serving our country.” Being a reflection of the area’s military community usually isn’t a player’s reason for picking Austin Peay, but as long as Gipson is at the helm, it’s going to be a crucial part of the experience for anyone who comes through the program. Getting Montgomery County residents to F&M Bank Arena and making the program a reflection of its community is always at the top of Gipson’s priorities. Making the Austin Peay experience one players can’t get anywhere else, however, has become one of the most meaningful parts of the job. No, it’s not a military academy like Army, Navy, Air Force, The Citadel or VMI, but thanks to Gipson, Austin Peay has provided its athletes with a military experience unavailable anywhere else. Last year, prior to the season, Gipson took his team to Fort Campbell on Sept. 11 to train with service members. Being on a military base to honor service members on Sept. 11 is a memorable experience in itself, but Austin Peay was there to train with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the “Night Stalkers,” the only helicopter special operations unit on the planet, based at Fort Campbell. The unit is responsible for flying Green Berets and Navy SEALs into combat and, most notably, for flying the soldiers who took down Osama bin Laden and captured Saddam Hussein. It’s a relationship that players don’t find at any other school in the country, and it goes far beyond a single day of training. “You would be amazed to learn and know how often the gentlemen who serve our country came to games, came behind closed doors, came to practices and pregame speeches for the young men who became their little brothers,” Gipson said. “It was the most amazing thing I’ve experienced in my collegiate career.” Now, Gipson is looking forward to taking his group back to Fort Campbell on Sept. 11. The Governors’ newcomers will have their opportunity to train with the Night Stalkers, and the returners will get to do something no other team in the country has done for a second time. When players enroll at Austin Peay, they’re not committing to military service, but in most cases, by the time they leave Clarksville, the military community has become a part of them. Austin Peay doesn’t have an extensive network of celebrity alumni or former players in the NBA to connect its players with. But its distinctive local community is what makes the experience so special, and Gipson works tirelessly to find players who will buy into that. And buy into it, players have. For the first time in nearly two decades in 2025-26, the Governors won a regular-season conference championship, sharing the ASUN title with Central Arkansas. The championship team was led by three all-conference performers: Collin Parker, Rashaud Marshall and Zyree Collins. In this era of college basketball, it’s not uncommon for mid-major leagues to see every all-conference player depart, whether due to exhausting eligibility or transferring. Austin Peay defied that trend. Parker is out of eligibility, but both Marshall and Collins will return for the Governors in 2026-27, a massive boon for Gipson and the program. Marshall is coming off a season averaging 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and Gipson could not be more thrilled to have him back. “[Marshall] averaged 16 and seven and returned to a mid-major. A mid-major,” Gipson said. “How is Rashaud Marshall, when the time comes, not preseason player of the year in the UAC?” Guys with Marshall’s numbers don’t often return to mid-majors in this college basketball climate, so being the UAC’s inaugural player of the year seems well within reach, and Gipson wants Marshall to receive that recognition when preseason awards are announced. Looking to build on an outstanding freshman season alongside Marshall will be Collins, who, in addition to all-league honors, won the league’s freshman of the year award in 2025-26. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and most significantly, 2.1 steals per game, which ranked No. 21 in the country. As he does with Marshall, Gipson has a clear picture of what’s next for Collins, and wants to make sure that’s reflected preseason. “He was ranked 21st in the country in steals per game,” Gipson said. “How is he not going to be the preseason defensive player of the year [in the UAC]? If he’s 21st in the country, that means he’s No. 1 in the conference.” By no means did Gipson assume Marshall and Collins would depart this offseason, but as a mid-major head coach, you can’t hold grudges against players seeking opportunities on a bigger stage. Make no mistake, retaining them was a priority, but when the offseason rolls around at a mid-major program for a 6-foot-8 forward averaging 16 and seven and one of the best perimeter defenders in the country, there are more lucrative opportunities. When mid-major stars turn down those opportunities to return to mid-major programs, it’s not because they got a better financial offer. Money talks; there’s no doubt about it, but for coaches like Gipson, who have created distinctly meaningful cultures, loyalty still has a place in college basketball, and that’s how he retained his star duo. No group represents the value of loyalty better than service members, so it’s fitting that it’s a prominent trait of Austin Peay’s stars. For Marshall and Collins, leading the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016 may be the primary goal, but they’ve already created a legacy that extends far beyond their playing careers. To the average fan, Austin Peay is an ordinary mid-major program. In reality, it’s everything that’s still right about college basketball: a one-of-one, community-driven culture led by one of the sport’s most extraordinary men, one that his players have fully embraced. Whether it’s known nationally or not, there’s no program like the one Gipson is running in Clarksville. Taking his alma mater to the Big Dance feels like the logical next step following a regular-season title, but for Gipson, representing the university’s community will always trump anything that can be accomplished on the court. He’s been with the program as a player, assistant coach, and now head coach, but Gipson knows his role at Austin Peay will always be bigger than basketball. “As long as we know in our heart that we’re pure and doing the right thing for this community and those that are serving our country and have served, we’re willing to fall on that sword,” Gipson said.