Berry College President Dr. Stephen Briggs and Director of Athletics Dr. Angel Mason are pleased to announce the hire of Mick Hedgepeth as the Vikings next Head Men’s Basketball Coach.
“It is an honor and joy to accept the head men’s basketball coaching position at Berry College,” said Hedgepeth. “I am extremely appreciative of the opportunity to join Berry’s community, embrace its mission, and support its values. I want to thank Dr. Stephen Briggs, Debbie Heida, Dr. Angel Mason, and the rest of the committee for providing me and my family with this incredible opportunity.”
“We are excited to welcome Mick and his wife to the Berry family. Mick has a calm energy and high basketball IQ that will serve our student-athletes well,” said Dr. Mason. “I believe he will continue to build on our competitive foundation and raise our profile nationally.”
“We are delighted that Coach Hedgepeth will be joining Berry to build on our record of considerable success in men’s basketball these last several seasons.” said Dr. Briggs.
Hedgepeth comes to Berry after three years as Director of Men’s Basketball Operations at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Hedgepeth, a 2012 graduate of Belmont, was part of a staff that won 77 games in three seasons. The Bruins won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in 2019, but did not have the chance to play in the NCAA Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bruins averaged over 78 points per game in the three seasons Hedgepeth served as part of head coach Casey Alexander’s staff.
“Mick is the finest example of what a coach should be; a true servant leader, a sharp basketball mind, and a person who will represent Berry very well in all areas,” said Coach Alexander.
Prior to joining the Bruins’ coaching staff, Hedgepeth was the head coach at Berry’s Southern Athletic Association rival University of the South. Hedgepeth had a record of 36-18 in two years at the helm, guiding the Tigers to a 22-7 record in 2018-19 and an SAA tournament championship.
Before joining Sewanee as an assistant coach, Hedgepeth began his coaching career at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. The Ephs went 30-20 during his time as an assistant coach, where he was involved in every aspect of the program, including opponent scouting and recruiting.
Hedgepeth’s return to the bench at Belmont was a homecoming after playing for the Bruins and legendary head coach Rick Byrd during his collegiate years. A 2012 graduate of the school, Hedgepeth was a major factor in 96 victories for the Bruins on the hardwood, including three Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championships, two A-Sun Conference tournament championships, and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Hegepeth would earn A-Sun Tournament MVP recognition in 2011, twice was a Second Team All-Atlantic Sun honoree, and was the 2012 A-Sun Male Student-Athlete of the Year and a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist.
Equally as strong in the classroom as he was on the court, Hedgepeth was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree and also received post-graduate scholarships from the NCAA and the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association. He would be named the DI-AAA ADA men’s basketball scholar athlete of the year.
Hedgepeth and his wife Courtney (Guidal) are expecting their first child.
https://www.berryvikings.com/news/2022/5/9/mick-hedgepeth-named-head-basketball-coach.aspx
