Lubbock-Cooper girls basketball coach Kyle Lovorn resigns amid allegations

The Lubbock-Cooper girls basketball team will have a new voice on the sideline next season.

Kyle Lovorn, the reigning Lone Star Varsity Coach of the Year, "after much thought, consideration and prayer" decided to leave his position as Lady Pirates head coach, he announced Tuesday on social media.

“Sierra, Peyton, Easton and I are looking forward to spending more time together as a family as I pursue a new career,” Lovorn wrote in a graphic he posted to Twitter about his wife, Sierra, and two children — Peyton and Easton.

Lovorn's resignation comes in the wake of an allegation of misconduct involving a student. A concerned parent from the Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District informed the Avalanche-Journal that Lovorn and a student were allegedly involved in a March 24 altercation that was caught on video.

Charges were filed the same day, the parent said.

“We filed charges with the Lubbock-Cooper Police Department and are waiting to hear back from the District Attorney’s Office,” said the parent, who wished to remain anonymous. “They told us they were backed up with cases and have not entered it yet.”

Lovorn also issued an apology, penning a note to the student and family.

“I am fully aware of my actions and take full responsibility for them,” Lovorn wrote on the note, which was shared with the Avalanche-Journal. ”This type of behavior will not be repeated moving forward.”

In a statement distributed to the media, Lubbock-Cooper ISD wrote “Lubbock-Cooper ISD administrators received a letter of resignation this morning from Kyle Lovorn, head coach of the Lubbock-Cooper High School Lady Pirate basketball team. ... We appreciate Coach Lovorn's service to the Lubbock-Cooper basketball program and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The A-J reached out to Lovorn for comment, but did not receive a response prior to press time.

The seventh-year Cooper coach guided an undersized group to the first state final in program history in March. Frisco Liberty topped the Lady Pirates 57-52 in the Class 5A championship. Cooper finished the season 31-7.

Lovorn joined Lubbock-Cooper for the 2016-2017 season following a stint with Merkel.

Since then, the 36-year-old Canyon native amassed a 186-55 mark to go along with three district championships — including a tie for District 4-5A title last season with Monterey.

The past several years have included many highlights for the Lady Pirates program. Cooper advanced to the regional tournament in 2019 before moving on to the state semifinals in 2021 and appearing in the state championship last season.

“I am very thankful for my time at Lubbock-Cooper,” Lovorn said in his social media post. ”The teachers, administrators and coaches I worked with on a daily basis are a major reason for the success of our program had over the last seven years.”