MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Fred Lymas, Shawnee State's first-year men's basketball head coach, has earned River States Men's Basketball Coach of the Year honors.

Lymas, a Silver Spring, Maryland, native, is in his first season as a collegiate head coach after spending five years as an assistant at Barry (Florida), St. Thomas (Florida) and Florida A&M.

Under Lymas' leadership, Shawnee State captured the 2025-26 River States Conference regular-season championship -- the first in program history -- finishing 23-5 overall and 15-1 in conference play.

The Bears earned the No. 1 seed in this year's River States Conference Tournament and have already advanced to the semifinals following their 78-62 quarterfinal win over Brescia on Wednesday.

With its conference regular-season championship, Shawnee State earned an automatic bid into the 2025-26 NAIA National Tournament set to begin on Friday, March 3.

Lymas and Shawnee State returns to action for the River States Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 28, hosting IU Southeast at Waller Gymnasium in Portsmouth, Ohio. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.