Pannone promotes Fair, Sowers and Thorpe on Arkansas State coaching staff
Arkansas State men’s basketball head coach Ryan Pannone announced Thursday a series of promotions within his coaching staff following a successful first season that saw the Red Wolves emerge as one of the Sun Belt Conference’s top teams.
Assistant coaches Jordan Fair and Hayden Sowers have each been promoted to associate head coach, while Director of Player Development Max Thorpe has been elevated to assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The trio joined Pannone’s inaugural staff prior to the 2025-26 campaign and played key roles in helping Arkansas State post one of the nation’s most impressive turnarounds.
Fair arrived in Jonesboro after spending eight seasons as head coach at Oldsmar Christian High School in Florida, where he helped 35 players earn college scholarships and coached five players ranked among the nation’s top 50 prospects. Earlier this year, he was one of 68 coaches invited to attend the Silver Waves Media NXT Up Rising Stars Power Lunch during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Sowers came to Arkansas State after three successful seasons as head coach at South Plains College, compiling an 83-19 record while earning Western Junior College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors twice. During his 10-year coaching career, including eight seasons at the junior college level, 95 players he coached advanced to the NCAA Division I ranks.
“Jordan and Hayden have done a great job within player development, helping coach the offense and defense,” Pannone said. “They’ve helped land the No. 1 transfer recruiting class in the Sun Belt for two years in a row, and the fruits of their labor are being rewarded with the title promotion to associate head coach.
“They are two of the best recruiters in the country and we’re fortunate to keep them here at Arkansas State.”
Thorpe joined the Red Wolves after serving one season as a graduate manager at Alabama. Before joining the Crimson Tide staff, he was a three-year letter winner at Florida State, helping the Seminoles reach the 2021 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and the ACC Tournament championship game. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management before completing a graduate certificate in athletic coaching.
“Max has done an unbelievable job in continuing to help develop our players on the floor and through film sessions while leading our analytics program,” Pannone said. “His vast knowledge of the game through his upbringing and playing career has provided tremendous value to our program.
“His relentless work ethic and commitment to this program has led to his promotion as an assistant coach.”
The promotions come after Arkansas State completed a historic 2025-26 season. Despite fielding an entirely new roster with no returning players, the Red Wolves became one of only two teams in the nation to win at least 20 games under those circumstances.
Arkansas State also set a program record with nine road victories, finished second in the Sun Belt Conference regular-season standings and posted the conference’s second-highest NCAA NET ranking.
Offensively, the Red Wolves led the Sun Belt by averaging a program-record 83.0 points per game, surpassing the previous school record established during the 1966-67 season.
Arkansas State also ranked among the nation’s best rebounding teams, finishing eighth nationally with 41.3 rebounds per game and fifth in offensive rebounds, averaging 14.25 per contest.
The Red Wolves enter the 2026-27 season with momentum on the recruiting trail as well. According to 247Sports, Arkansas State has assembled the top-ranked transfer recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference for the second consecutive year and the third time in the last four seasons.