Shorter University head men’s basketball coach Chad Warner announced his resignation today. Warner cited his desire to pursue opportunities in the private business sector that would allow him to better serve his family and the Rome community.
"Chad has built a great legacy as head coach of Shorter University’s men’s basketball program," said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless. "We are grateful for his service and the impact he has had on shaping the lives of the young men who have played basketball for him. The heart he has demonstrated on the basketball court will serve him well as he seeks to pursue new avenues of service to his family and our community. Our heartfelt gratitude and prayers go with him as he begins this new chapter in serving the Lord."
Warner said he enjoyed his time as head coach at Shorter but feels a new calling at this point in his life. "This profession demands a great passion and energy to be successful, and at this point my greater passion is to try and serve my family and community. I am so thankful for the great run we had and the people that helped us make that happen," he said.
Warner, the winningest coach in Shorter men’s basketball history, leaves his post with the Hawks after eight seasons at the helm, a run that included a conference championship, an NAIA Fab Four appearance and a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championship.
"Chad is an exceptional coach, but even more, he is an exceptional man," said Shorter interim Director of Athletics Matt Green. "I had the unique opportunity to both play for Coach Warner as a student-athlete and work alongside him as an administrator. I’ve seen firsthand the way he cares for his student-athletes and makes a lasting impact on their lives. He means a lot to me personally and has meant an incredible amount to this university. While we are sad to see him go, we wish Chad, his wife Karin, and his three children, Aly, Caroline, and Jack, the best of luck as they begin a new journey."
Warner won 156 games as head coach of the Hawks, piecing together the finest resume the Shorter men’s basketball program had ever seen. His back-to-back 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns are the most decorated in program history.
In 2011-12, Warner led the Hawks to a conference regular season and tournament championship, a national No. 1 ranking and record 34 wins while capturing NABC National Coach of the Year honors and guiding Shorter to the NAIA Fab Four. It was Shorter’s first conference championship since 1977.
The next year, in 2012-13, Shorter’s first on the Division II stage within the Gulf South Conference, Warner’s Hawks won 21 games and claimed the NCCAA national title with a 90-87 overtime win over Oklahoma Baptist. Warner was named GABCA Division II Coach of the Year that season.
Warner came to Shorter in 2007 after successful stints as an assistant coach at Division III Hampden-Sydney College and Division I William & Mary. He immediately transformed Shorter into a winner, taking a team that had won a total of 22 games combined in the three previous seasons and guiding the 2007-08 Hawks to a 19-12 record and a berth in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. The Hawks had gone 6-20 the season prior to Warner’s arrival.
He won his 100th career game in just his fifth season with the Hawks making him the fastest to the century mark in school history. Warner claimed his 150th career win with Shorter’s 79-76 home win over rival Lee University this season.
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