Northwest Nazarene University Athletics

Paul Rush recently completed his eighth season with the Nighthawks men's basketball program in 2022-23, and his sixth year as the head coach after spending the previous two as an assistant.

Through six seasons at the helm, Rush has a career record of 88-61 (.591) overall and 54-39 (.581) in GNAC play. NNU has compiled an overall record of .500 or above in all six seasons. Rush's teams have been particularly tough at home, going 50-19 (.725) in games at the Johnson Sports Center.

In his six years, the Nighthawks have qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice (Reaching the Sweet 16 once) and have a current streak of qualifying for the GNAC Tournament four years in a row (top six teams out of 10). Rush has coached three All-Region players, the 2019 GNAC Player & Newcomer of the Year in Adonis Arms, and the 2022 GNAC Freshman of the Year in Tru Allen. In addition to those two GNAC special honors, 17 total Nighthawks have received All-GNAC recognition during Rush's tenure.

Eleven Nighthawks have went on to sign and play professionally following their careers with Rush, including Adonis Arms (Denver Nuggets), Obi Megwa (Spain), Jayden Bezzant (New Zealand), Ezekiel Alley (Spain), and Maurice Jones (Norway). 

Despite a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, Rush and the Nighthawks put together an incredible second half of the season that culminated in the program's first-ever GNAC Championship and second bid to the NCAA Tournament. At 7-11 after their game on Jan. 26, NNU won five of the final eight regular season games to grab the sixth and final seed in the GNAC Tournament. At the tourney, the Nighthawks rolled through three-seed Seattle Pacific, two-seed Montana State Billings, and top seed Saint Martin's to claim the title and earn the NCAA Tournament automatic bid. At NCAA Regionals, NNU held tough with top regional seed and national No. 4 Point Loma before suffering a narrow defeat. Gabe Murphy (second team) and Tru Allen (honorable mention) both earned All-GNAC honors, while Biggie Bergersen was named the GNAC Championships MVP.

Rush led the Nighthawks to a strong finish in 2021-22 with wins in seven of their last eight games to finish 12-9 overall and 10-5 in GNAC play. NNU earned their highest-ever GNAC finish and tournament seed of second. James Nelson was named First Team All-GNAC and Tru Allen the GNAC Freshman of the Year to lead four total All-Conference honors. NNU also swept the United Heritage Mayors’ Cup for the first time since 2012, defeating College of Idaho 80-70 in Caldwell on Nov. 19 before knocking off the Yotes 71-64 in Nampa on Dec. 7.

Rush and the Nighthawks enjoyed their best season to date in the program’s Division II history in 2020-21, qualifying for the NCAA postseason for the first time ever during the shortened campaign. NNU finished the year 13-5, winning two games in the NCAA West Regional to advance all the way to the Sweet 16, first getting revenge on an early-season loss to Point Loma before knocking off the #1 team in the country, Colorado Mesa, in the second round. Senior guard Ezekiel Alley led the GNAC with 19.9 points per game and was named to the NABC DII All-West District Team.

NNU went 15-11 overall and 12-8 in conference play in 2019-20, qualifying for the GNAC tournament for a second-straight season with the fourth seed. Three Nighthawks earned All-GNAC honors, with Jayden Bezzant named to the First Team, Ezekiel Alley on the Second Team, and Olamilekan Adentunji an Honorable Mention selection.

In 2018-19, NNU won 20 games in a season for the first time since the school went to NCAA Division II in 2001 and reached the GNAC tournament for just the third time as the three-seed. The Nighthawks then picked up the program's third GNAC tournament victory, a 76-75 win over Simon Fraser. Adonis Arms was the GNAC Player & Newcomer of the Year and joined by Obi Megwa on the All-GNAC First Team, with Jayden Bezzant also earning Honorable Mention honors. Arms was a consensus First Team All-Region pick by both the NABC and the D2CCA, while Megwa earned D2CCA Second Team All-Region honors.

In Rush's first year at the helm of the program in 2017-18, the Nighthawks went 13-13 overall and 9-11 in GNAC play, tying for sixth in the conference after the team finished 10th the year before. Obi Megwa was named Second Team All-GNAC at the end of the year.

Prior to NNU, Rush was a successful coach at Capital High School in Boise, Idaho. He led the Eagles to third place in the 2015 Class 5A State Tournament, following up on an undefeated season in 2014 as Capital captured the 2014 Class 5A state championship.

Rush began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Capital sophomore boys basketball team in 2003, working his way up to head coach and taking over the Eagles program in 2009.

He is married to Kylie and they have four young sons.