GCSU hires new women’s basketball head coach

The search for the sixth women’s basketball head coach at GCSU didn’t last long. After just 18 days, assistant coach Maurice Smith was tapped on Friday to be the new head coach of the Bobcats. Smith is the first African-American head coach in school history for all sports. He will replace the legendary John Carrick, who retired earlier this month after 27 seasons at the helm.

Smith, who has been an assistant coach for the Bobcats since 2006, actually began his career at GCSU in 1999 as a player for the men’s program after spending two seasons at Wallace Community College in Alabama. Smith was an integral part of the 1999 team that went 25-6, won the PBC championship and reached the Elite Eight, as he serves as the sixth man. He earned a second team All-Conference selection in 2001.

From there, Smith became a student assistant for the men’s team in 2003 and then was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons before switching over to the women’s team as an assistant in 2006.

“Georgia College has been a part of my life for the last decade, serving as a training ground for me as a player, person and professional,” Smith said in an official press release. “For me to get this job is the ultimate privilege. Outside of basketball, my family is rooted here, I met my wife here, played here, got my bachelor’s and master’s here and to know I’m going to start my head coaching career here a bit longer is outstanding.”

“I’m excited for our program and I’m excited for Coach Smith,” Athletic Director Wendell Staton said. “He is everything you look for to run your program. He has outstanding character and great work ethic. And I think those characteristics will be passed off to the student athletes and keep our program an elite one.”

Smith will take over a team that went 21-8 in 2009-10 and won the PBC West title, while reaching the semi-finals of the conference tournament.

Posted by Scotty Thompson on Apr 30 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry