Lori Carter begins her seventh season as the head coach of the Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball program. In her first year as Head Coach, Carter led the Crimson Storm to a 36-3 record and the programs record 7th NAIA National Championship. For her efforts, Carter was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year.

In her six seasons at SNU, Carter has compiled a record of 151-52 (.744) with four NAIA National Tournament bids and one NAIA National Championship to her credit.

This past season, Carter led SNU to a 24-8 record and a 17-5 finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Crimson Storm finished the season with final rank of #14 and SNU made the program’s third consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

In 2006-07, Carter guided SNU to a 29-6 record and a share of the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season championship. Carter also led SNU to the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament title and the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament. For her efforts, Carter was named the 2006-07 Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Carter became the program’s ninth Head Coach in April of 2003 after serving as the head women’s basketball coach at St. Gregory’s University.

Lori Carter (then Lori Cloar) is a familiar name to Southern Nazarene University after playing for the SNU women’s basketball dynasty from 1989-1992. During Carter’s three seasons in a SNU uniform, the Crimson Storm (then the Lady Redskins) went 88-14 and was in the midst of their 122-game home court-winning streak. In her three-year career at Southern Nazarene, Carter averaged 8.6 points per game, and 5.4 assists per game. Lori currently holds the SNU record for most assists in a game with 17, which she set back in the 1990-91 season. At SNU, Carter was named a Sooner Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference member in 1991-92 and was second team in 1990-91. Lori also earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in 1992.

Carter holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Nazarene University and a teacher certification from the University of Central Oklahoma. Carter began her coaching career at SNU in 1994, serving as the Junior Varsity head coach for the Crimson Storm women’s basketball program.

From there she moved to Sooner Athletic Conference opponent, Oklahoma City University, where she served as an assistant f or OCU’s varsity women’s program for two seasons. After her two seasons with Oklahoma City, Carter headed to Shawnee and took the assistant’s position at Oklahoma Baptist University for two seasons. Carter was also the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at OBU during her tenure in Shawnee.

In May of 2000, Carter was named the head coach of the St. Gregory’s University women’s basketball program and took SGU from the bottom of the Sooner Athletic Conference standings and built them into a solid program in the nation’s toughest conference. At St. Gregory’s, Carter was named the 2000-2001 SAC Coach-of-the-Year.

Lori and her husband Joe reside in Oklahoma City and have a son named Jaxon.

Carter's SNU Coaching Career

Yr.	Games	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Championships
2003-04	39	36	3	.923	NAIA National Champions
2004-05	35	28	7	.800	NAIA National Tournament Qualifier
2005-06	30	9	21	.300
2006-07	35	29	6	.828	NAIA National Tournament Qualifier
2007-08	32	25	7	.781	NAIA National Tournament Qualifier
2008-09	32	24	8	.750	NAIA National Tournament Qualifier
Career	203	151	52	.744

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carter's All-Time Coaching Career

Yr.	Team	Games	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Championships
2000-01	St. Gregory's	32	14	18	.438
2001-02	St. Gregory's	30	13	17	.433
2002-03	St. Gregory's	31	12	19	.387
2003-04	Southern Nazarene	39	36	3	.923	National Champions
2004-05	Southern Nazarene	35	28	7	.800	National Tournament
2005-06	Southern Nazarene	30	9	21	.300
2006-07	Southern Nazarene	35	29	6	.828	National Tournament
2007-08	Southern Nazarene	32	25	7	.781	National Tournament
2008-09	Southern Nazarene	32	24	8	.750	National Tournament
Career		296	190	106	.642

Paul Cloar begins his seventh season as an assistant coach for the Crimson Storm women’s basketball program. Cloar, who is the father to head women’s coach Lori Carter, came to SNU from Mustang High School where he served as the High School principal for five years.

Cloar is a graduate of Hobart High School where he was an All-State Basketball Player. At Hobart, Cloar excelled in basketball, baseball, and football and was and All-Conference player for Hobart in each sport.

After graduating from Hobart, Cloar attended the University of Oklahoma where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Cloar then obtained his Master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1974.

While attending OU, Cloar lettered four years in basketball for the Sooners. Cloar was a member of OU’s 1970 NIT squad that would eventually lose to Pistol Pete Maravich’s Louisiana State University squad in the second round of the NIT.

Upon graduation from OU, Cloar went on to be an assistant coach in basketball and baseball and Norman High School, a post he held from 1971-1976.

After leaving Norman, Cloar was named the Head Coach for the boys and girls basketball teams at Bristow High School in 1976. Cloar would hold that post until 1979.

After leaving Bristow, Cloar was named the Head Coach for the boy’s basketball squad at Mustang High School in 1979, a position he held until 1981. Cloar would stay in the Mustang school system upon stepping down from coaching, holding positions as Assistant Principal for the Mustang Middle School and Mustang High School before being named Principal in 1998.

Paul and his wife Linda have three children: Doug, Lori, and Nathan.

Heather McNutt begins her seventh season as an assistant coach for the Crimson Storm women’s basketball program in 2009.

McNutt helped lead SNU to the National Title in 2003 as the starting point guard. McNutt started for three seasons for the Crimson Storm at point guard and left SNU as one of the fiercest competitors to every play for Southern Nazarene. In her four-year career, McNutt amassed 560 assists and played in 134 games for the Crimson Storm. Heather led the nation in assists as a sophomore, chalking up 161 assists in the 2001-2002 season.

Heather and her husband Brian reside in Bethany and welcomed their daughter, Maddison, in November of 2007.