Dr. Blake Flickner is in his 20th season as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Dallas Baptist University, where he has built one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II basketball. Over 19 seasons at the helm, Flickner has compiled an impressive 380–216 record, guiding the Patriots to the NCAA Division II Tournament nine times, including eight of the past ten seasons.
Under Flickner’s leadership, DBU reached new heights in 2025, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals after capturing the South Central Regional Championship and sweeping both the Lone Star Conference regular-season and tournament titles. His teams have also claimed three Lone Star Conference Division championships, two Heartland Conference regular-season titles, and two Heartland Tournament crowns.
Flickner was named the NABC South Central Region All-District Coach of the Year in 2025 and is also a three-time Conference Coach of the Year, earning the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year award in 2025 and was tabbed Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2017.
Throughout his tenure, Flickner’s program has been defined by excellence, both on and off the court. His teams have produced two All-Americans and 82 All-Conference selections, including 17 First Team honorees. Under his direction, numerous Patriots have also earned top accolades in the conference, including six Freshmen of the Year, four Defensive Players of the Year, three Sixth Man of the Year, and two Newcomers of the Year.
Flickner’s impact extends beyond collegiate success—under his guidance, 14 former Patriots have gone on to play professionally overseas, a testament to the player development and culture of excellence that defines DBU Basketball.
YEAR-BY-YEAR
The 2024–2025 season will forever stand as a landmark chapter in the storied history of DBU Basketball, as the Patriots reached unprecedented heights on their march to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals. After advancing to the Elite Eight, DBU secured a thrilling victory over Lake Superior State, punching their ticket to the national semifinals for the first time in program history.
The Patriots’ postseason run was made even more memorable by a series of program firsts, including hosting the NCAA South Central Regional Championship after capturing both the Lone Star Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Along the way, DBU set a new program record with 34 wins, the most ever in a single season, and finished the year ranked No. 4 in the NABC Coaches Poll—the highest final ranking in school history.
Individual achievements further defined the Patriots’ historic campaign. Ricky Lujan etched his name in DBU’s record books as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,214 career points, while Cameron Kahn became the Patriots’ all-time leading rebounder with 829 boards. Xavion Brown emerged as a defensive force, earning Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Trevor Frank provided vital depth off the bench, claiming the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award for the second straight season. Kahn’s outstanding postseason performance earned him the title of South Central Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player, a fitting conclusion to a decorated career that helped propel DBU to its greatest success in program history.
Capping off the record-setting season, Flickner was honored as the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year and named the NABC South Central Region All-District Coach of the Year, further solidifying his place among the nation’s elite coaches.
The 2023-24 season saw the Patriots advance to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South Central Regional. DBU finished the regular season with a 25-6 record and won the LSC East Division title with an 18-4 record in league play. The Patriots were led by Cameron Kahn, who became the second All-American in program history after ranking third in the LSC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game. DBU notched an 86-73 win over No. 13 Colorado School of Mines in the Quarterfinals of the South Central Regional and reached the Semifinals for the third time in school history.
In 2022, DBU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and finished the year with a 17-12 record. The Patriots went 10-5 in Lone Star Conference play and finished in third place in the league standings. DBU opened the season with a win over No. 4 Colorado Mesa at the Burg Center and punctuated their year with a 75-73 road win over a Lubbock Christian team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Patriots concluded their season with a loss to No. 22 Black Hills State, who eventually reached the Final Four.
The Patriots posted a 17-5 overall record and reached the NCAA Tournament during the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season. With a win over Southern Arkansas in the South Central Regional, DBU reached the Regional Semifinals for the second time in school history. On January 9, the Patriots took down the No. 3-ranked team in the nation to end West Texas A&M’s nation-leading home-court winning streak. It was the fourth season in a row DBU had defeated a team ranked in the Top 10. The Patriots also continued their dominance at the Burg Center, posting an 11-0 record on their home court and have gone 75-11 at the Burg since the start of the 2015-2016 season. DBU finished the 2020-21 season ranked No. 16 in the NABC’s Top 25 and posted their highest ranking in school history when they were ranked No. 9 by the D2SIDA poll on January 26.
In DBU’s first season in the Lone Star Conference in 2019-20, Flickner coached the Patriots to a 21-9 overall record and earned the No. 7 seed in the NCAA South Central Regional. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NCAA to cancel the national tournament. DBU’s 21 wins marked the fifth consecutive season of 20 wins or more for the program and propelled the Patriots into the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
In 2018-19, Flickner guided the Patriots to a 23-11 record and a trip to the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, where they earned the No. 5 seed, marking the highest seed tournament bid in school history.
The 2017-18 season saw the Patriots finish with the most wins in program history with a record of 26-6, as DBU won the Heartland Conference regular season championship for the second straight year and the Heartland Conference Tournament championship for the second time over a three-year stretch. DBU also returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, where they punched their ticket to the South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Patriots spent most of the 2017-18 campaign ranked in the Top 25, including a final ranking of No. 16 in the nation according to the NABC Coach’s Poll.
In 2016-17, Flickner was selected as the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year after DBU clinched its first-ever regular-season league title. Flickner was also tabbed the NCCAA Central Region Coach of the Year at season's end.
The Patriots finished the 2015-16 campaign in the NCAA Division II National Tournament, where they fell to the No. 2-seeded team in the region, after winning the Heartland Conference Tournament championship.
In 2011, the Patriots won a National Championship in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).
In 2008-09, Flickner guided DBU to the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in just his third season at the helm. The Patriots defeated Central Oklahoma in their first-round game of the South Central Regional Tournament to advance to the Regional Semifinals.
DBU’S SEASON RECORDS UNDER FLICKNER
2006-07: 14-19
2007-08: 17-16
2008-09: 24-7 (NCAA Regional)
2009-10: 18-12
2010-11: 20-12 (NCCAA National Champions)
2011-12: 18-16 (NCCAA Regional Champions)
2012-13: 11-15
2013-14: 14-14 (NCCAA Regional)
2014-15: 17-16 (NCCAA National Finalist)
2015-16: 23-9 (NCAA Regional)
2016-17: 24-12 (NCCAA Nationals)
2017-18: 26-6 (NCAA Regional)
2018-19: 23-11 (NCAA Regional)
2019-20: 21-9 (NCAA Regional)
2020-21: 17-5 (NCAA Regional)
2021-22: 17-12 (NCAA Regional)
2022-23: 17-14
2023-24: 25-6 (NCAA Regional)
2024-25: 34-5 (NCAA National Semifinals)
TOTAL: 380-216 (.637)
CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER FLICKNER
2015-16: Heartland Conference Tournament
2016-17: Heartland Conference Regular Season
2017-18: Heartland Conference Regular Season
2017-18: Heartland Conference Tournament
2020-21: Lone Star Conference Regular Season (North Division)
2023-24: Lone Star Conference Regular Season (East Division)
2024-25: Lone Star Conference Regular Season (Overall Champions & East Division)
Flickner's teams are known for their great effort and selfless play. The up-tempo style is exciting for fans and players alike and has consistently made them one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, as well as one of the top assist teams in the country. Under Flickner’s direction, the Patriots have ranked in the top 25 nationally in 70 statistical categories during the past 19 years.
TOP 25 STATISTICAL RANKINGS DURING FLICKNER’S TENURE AT DBU
2024-25
#1 - Steals Per Game (13.1)
#1 - Turnovers Forced Per Game (22.5)
#2 - Turnover Margin (7.9)
#5 - Winning Percentage (87.2)
#7 - Scoring Margin (13.5)
#13 - Offensive Rebounds Per Game (13.8)
#16 - Bench Points Per Game (33.6)
#20 - Assists Per Game (16.9)
2023-24
#4 - Turnovers Forced Per Game (19.8)
#5 - Turnover Margin (7.0)
#9 - Steals Per Game (10.5)
#12 - Scoring Offense (87.2)
#12 - Winning Percentage (80.6)
#15 - Fast Break Points (16.3)
#17 - Scoring Margin (10.8)
2022-23
#22 - 3-Point Field Goal Defense (31.1)
2021-22
#16 - Turnover Margin (3.5)
2020-21
#4 - Field Goal % (52.4)
#7 - 3-Point Field Goals Made (233)
#12 - 3-Point Field Goal % (39.9)
#13 - 3-Point Field Goal Attempts (584)
#13 - Scoring Offense (85.3)
#16 - 3-Point Field Goals Per Game (10.6)
#17 - Assists (338)
#18 - Scoring Margin (10.4)
#24 - Free Throw % (77.0)
#25 - Steals (159)
2019-20
#3 - Steals (314)
#3 - Turnovers Forced (19.4)
#4 - Steals Per Game (10.5)
#5 - Turnover Margin (5.3)
2018-19
#7 - 3-Point Field Goals Made (365)
#7 - Blocked Shots (147)
#8 - 3-Point Field Goal Attempts (930)
#18 - Assists (540)
#19 - 3-Point Field Goals Per Game (10.7)
#24 - Blocked Shots Per Game (4.3)
#24 - Free Throws Made (516)
#25 - Free Throw Attempts (698)
2017-18
#15 - Scoring Margin (11.8)
#16 - Field Goal % (49.6)
#17 - Assists (550)
#20 - Assists Per Game (17.2)
2016-17
#5 - Assists Per Game (18.9)
#7 - Assists (586)
#11 - Field Goal % (50.1)
#16 - Scoring Margin (12.7)
#19 - Assist Turnover Ratio (1.42)
2015-16
#10 - Assists (555)
#11 - Assists Per Game (17.3)
#11 - Free Throws Made (600)
#13 - Scoring Offense (87.5)
#19 - 3-Point Field Goals Made (317)
#20 - 3-Point Field Goal Attempts (843)
#21 - 3-Point Field Goal Defense (31.7)
#23 - Assist Turnover Ratio (1.43)
2014-15
#11 - 3-Point Field Goal Attempts (837)
#14 - 3-Point Field Goals Made (307)
2012-13
#13 - 3-Point Field Goal % (40.4)
#13 - Free Throw % (76.0)
2011-12
#19 - Field Goal % (48.7)
2009-10
#4 - Free Throw % (77.0)
#25 - Scoring Offense (82.4)
2008-09
#3 - 3-Point Field Goal % (42.2)
#12 - Scoring Offense (86.1)
#12 - Assists Per Game (17.9)
#16 - Free Throw % (75.5)
#20 - Scoring Margin (12.0)
#24 - Steals Per Game (9.4)
2007-08
#6 - Assists Per Game (18.8)
#15 - Scoring Offense (83.5)
Coach Flickner’s teams have excelled just as much in the classroom as they have on the court, consistently ranking at or near the top of their conference in team GPA. Under his leadership, DBU has earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award on ten occasions and captured five Heartland Conference honors for the highest team GPA in the league. Flickner has also coached three Academic All-Americans — Myles Johnson (2015, 2016, 2017), Chandler Jacobs (2021), and Xavion Brown (2025). Remarkably, every player who has entered DBU from high school and completed their eligibility under Flickner has graduated. Many have gone on to pursue advanced degrees, including several who have earned master’s degrees and three former Patriots who have achieved their Juris Doctor from top law schools.
Flickner came to DBU from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he served as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen from 2003-05. Before his stint at Navy, Flickner served two years as Director of Basketball Operations or Administrative Assistant Coach for Coach Dale Layer at Colorado State University. While there, the Rams made their first trip to the NCAA tournament in thirteen years after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Before his time at Colorado State, Flickner worked as the assistant coach at Eastfield College (1998-01) in Mesquite, Texas. During his three-year stay, he helped recruit and develop two All-Americans and led Eastfield College to a share of the 2001 Metro Athletic Conference Championship.
A native of Garland, Texas, Flickner graduated from Garland High School and played at Eastfield College. A point guard for Eastfield College from 1993-95, Flickner helped the Harvesters to win the 1994 Metro Athletic Conference title. An outstanding student, Flickner was named a Distinguished NJCAA Academic All-American.
He continued his education at the University of Kansas, serving as a student manager from 1996-98 and assuming the head manager position in his senior campaign. Flickner graduated with distinction from Kansas in May 1998 with a degree in business administration. He earned his Master of Arts in Christian education at Dallas Theological Seminary in May 2001, graduating with honors. In addition, he was awarded a Doctor of Education degree from DBU in Educational Leadership (Ed.D) in December 2016.
Blake and his wife, Mary, reside in Duncanville, Texas, with their son Isaiah, daughter Ruth, and son Malachi. They are members of Duncanville's First Baptist Church, where they serve as Journey Group leaders. Blake also serves as the board vice-chairman for UME Preparatory Academy in Dallas.
