Freed-Hardeman University has a rare champion-ship story unfolding: sibling head coaches Drew Stutts and Abby Stutts have both led the Lions and Lady Lions to Mid-South Conference Tournament titles and into the NAIA National Tournament with dominant seasons.
The FHU men finished conference play undefeated (12–0) for the first time in school history, completed the regular season (27–1) and secured their fourth consecutive MSC Tournament title with a (72–64) win over Bethel.
As the second seed of the tournament, the Lady Lions finished (27-3), the team defeated the Bethel Wildcats (64-56.)
The Lions completed a 26-game winning streak and the Lady Lions have a five-game winning streak for a combined 31-games. The Stutts siblings have a 223-61 record (78.5%) over their basketball careers.
The Stutts siblings reflect a lifelong love for the game, planted deep in the red clay of Florence, Alabama, and nurtured in a home where discipline, faith and sports were foundational. Drew’s coaching career began at Mars Hill Bible School and included a stint at Chester County High School before he eventually stepped into an assistant role at FHU. Drew is in his seventh year as head coach while Abby joined the staff in 2020 as an assistant and has been head coach for the last two years. They are graduates of The University of North Alabama and Mars Hill Bible School.
Together, they’ve created a culture of discipline, preparation and belief.
The first rounds of the NAIA tournament are set to begin at FHU this weekend. For full coverage of the event or for more information, go to https://gofhulions.com/sports/2026/3/2/2025-naia-first-and-second-rounds.aspx
Read about both teams’ seasons and final games leading up to the 2026 NAIA Tournaments.
