Angelo State University Athletics

Awards
2022-23 LSC Co-Coach of the Year
2022-23 Dave Campbell's Non-D1 Texas Basketball Coach of the Year

Career Record (through 2024-25 season): 183-125 (.594 winning percentage)
Record at Angelo State (through 2024-25 season): 62-30 (.674 winning percentage)
Record inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena (through 2024-25 season): 34-4 (.920 winning percentage)

Vinay Patel enters his third season at the helm of the Ram Basketball program for the 2024-25 season.

Patel's third season saw the Rams battle adversity to finish the season with a 17-12 overall record and a 13-9 record in LSC play. Sterling Gaston-Chapman was named to the All-LSC Second Team while Shemar Smith was named to the third team and Kaden Evans earned Honorable Mention and All-Defensive honors.

Year two in San Angelo saw the Rams go 19-11 on the season as they qualified for the NCAA South Central regional for the second time in as many years under Patel. He is the first men's basketball coach at ASU to have back-to-back appearances at the NCAA Tournament in his first two season. 

In his first season in San Angelo, Patel led the Rams to a 26-7 overall record, making it to the LSC Tournament Finals and the second round of the NCAA South Central Regional. His 26 wins were the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach at ASU. Patel also led the Rams to a perfect 13-0 record inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. 

At ASU, Patel has had 12 all-conference honors, including Steve Webb being named the LSC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson was named the LSC Newcomer of the Year in 2024. For his excellent first season in the Blue and Gold, Patel was named the LSC Co-Coach of the Year as well as being named the Dave Campbell's Non-D1 Texas Basketball Coach of the Year in 2023. He has also had three players - Steve Webb, Kevon Godwin, and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson, earn all-region honors at Angelo State.

Patel brings 18 years of coaching experience to ASU, most recently serving as the head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he led the Rangers to a 20-9 overall record and one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA Division II in the 2021-22 season. 

Before NWOSU, Patel spent four seasons at Oklahoma City University and compiled an overall record of 82-42. He led the Stars to a Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship in 2018-19 and a share of the regular-season title in 2017-18. The Stars advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA Tournament two years in a row while making the tournament all four years.

Patel was named the Sooner Athletic Conference and Oklahoma Sports Net Coach of the Year in 2018 when the Stars finished with a 24-9 mark and ranked No. 8 in the NAIA.

No stranger to the Lone Star Conference, Patel started his coaching career at West Texas A&M University as a graduate assistant in 2005 before working his way up to associate head coach in 2013. In eight seasons on staff, Patel helped lead the Buffs to a 164-93 record and five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.

A native of Shamrock, Texas, Patel received his Master of Science degree in sports and exercise science from WTAMU in 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and sports science from Texas Tech University. He is married to his wife Megan, who serves as the Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance at ASU, and they have one son.