Wheelchair Basketball’s next power move

[Link]New U.S. wheelchair basketball coach Scott Meyer, right, stands with his mentor Ron Lykins. Both are longtime Mizzou coaches and pioneers in Paralympic wheelchair basketball. Photo by Sophia Scheller.

Published on Show Me Mizzou April 24, 2025
Story by Joe Walljasper, BJ '92

As an undergraduate in the School of Health Professions in 2011, Scott Meyer needed a fieldwork requirement to complete his degree. At the bottom of a list of possible internships, he saw an opportunity with Mizzou's wheelchair basketball team. Meyer, who played basketball through high school, figured he'd compile stats and film games for a year before moving on.

Instead, wheelchair basketball became his future. On Feb. 25, 2025, Meyer, BHS '12, was named head coach of the U.S. men's wheelchair basketball national team. He will lead Team USA through a four-year cycle culminating in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

"Like a lot of people, I had no visibility into adapted sports growing up," Meyer says. "Initially, I thought, 'How can people play basketball sitting down?' But then you see it and see how fast people go, hear the contact of the chairs, see people falling over and popping back up, being able to shoot sitting down from pretty much anywhere on the court. I fell in love with it."

Mizzou is one of only 12 U.S. colleges to offer wheelchair basketball. Thanks to longtime coach Ron Lykins, the school has strong ties to the international game. As head coach of U.S. national teams, Lykins won four Paralympic gold medals: two each for the women (2004, 2008) and men (2016, 2021).

"He's the best to ever do it," Meyer says of his mentor. "To be able to learn from him, it was like a third master's degree for me."

Lykins saw in Meyer an eager student with a strong basketball background who built trust with players and taught the game well. Post-graduation, he invited Meyer to stay as a Mizzou assistant coach and chose him for his Paralympic staffs. After winning gold in Tokyo in 2021, Lykins stepped down. Robb Taylor then led Team USA to a third straight gold in Paris, with Meyer assisting.

Now, as head coach, Meyer moves from making suggestions to making decisions, the easiest of which was inviting Lykins to be his assistant coach. They'll be side by side again for a run they hope ends with a fourth straight Paralympic gold for Team USA.

"To see him grow and get this opportunity is well-deserved, and I'm really happy for him," Lykins says. "He doesn't need me - he's good on his own - but for me to be there and offer advice when he needs it, it's just payback for all he did for me."

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MIZZOU magazine Spring 2025

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