LOS ANGELES – Following his first year with the LMU men's basketball program, Damari Milstead has been elevated to the role of Director of Basketball Operations, effective immediately.
 
"I believe that Damari is a rising star in college basketball," said Head Coach Stan Johnson. "This was an easy decision for me. His work ethic, organizational skills, relationships with our players and staff, along with his recruiting talent, will impact our program moving forward. He has starred in his role as a GA and I firmly believe that will continue as the Director of Basketball Operations. Remember the name, Damari is going to have one heck of a career. Glad we get to be on the front end of that journey."
 
Milstead will oversee the logistics and operations of the men's basketball program in this role, as well as continue to be a valuable aid to the coaches and student-athletes.
 
In 2024-25, Milstead served as a graduate assistant and helped lead LMU to two separate win streaks of five games apiece. The Lions closed out non-conference play with five wins in a row and then, for the first time since 1991, won five consecutive wins in conference play. 
 
In November, the LMU Men's Basketball team left foreign soil as MTE Champions. The Lions followed their 2022 Jamaica Classic title with a second in-season tournament title during his tenure leading the Lions. The Lions defeated Belmont in the opening game of the tournament and then overcame a 10-point deficit with less than six minutes to play in the second half to clinch the Championship.
 
Milstead played four seasons of college basketball at three schools. Milstead spent two seasons at Grand Canyon from 2017-19 and played for current LMU Assistant Coach Louis Wilson in his final year with the Lopes. Following his time at GCU, Milstead spend a year in the West Coast Conference at San Francisco in 2020-21 and closed out his playing career with an NCAA Tournament berth in 2022 with Cal State Fullerton.
 
Milstead played and started in all 32 games his senior year and averaged 12.1 points and 30.8 minutes per game for the Big West Tournament Champions. Milstead scored 17 points in the conference tournament championship and then led the Titans with 12 points along with five rebounds, three assists and three steals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Duke.
 
Over his four-year collegiate career, Milstead shot 41.9 percent from the field and scored over eight points per game.
 
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