Gardner-Webb men’s basketball announced the hiring of Jake DeLaney as an assistant coach Tuesday afternoon.
DeLaney, a Birmingham, Ala., native, most recently served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga. He will begin his second stint at Gardner-Webb, after serving as a graduate assistant from 2015-2017 with the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
“Jake gained valuable experience on the bench over the past two seasons and has a sharp basketball mind,” said Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft. “His familiarity with our program and philosophy will be helpful as he transitions into his new role. We are excited to welcome Jake back to our bench.”
DeLaney helped the Covenant Scots to a strong 18-9 record this past season, which included a 16-2 mark in the Division III USA South and a West Division title. The .667 winning percentage set a new program record and the 16 league wins were a new high mark for the USA South.
Sophomore forward Will Crumly was named USA South Player of the Year and was selected to the NABC’s Division III All-American Team and the Scots’ offense pumped in 76.0 points per game. Point guard Bailey Spragg ranked No. 4 nationally with 6.9 assists per game as well.
DeLaney was also part of a coaching staff that directed Covenant to an 18-10 mark in his first season on the bench as a full-time assistant coach in 2017-2018.
The former Oak Mountain (Ala.) High standout spent two seasons on Craft’s staff at Gardner-Webb, serving as video coordinator and graduate assistant coach. He helped the ‘Dogs post 36 wins and two Big South Conference semifinal appearances during his time on staff, including a 19-14 mark with a win over Nebraska during his final campaign in Boiling Springs.
DeLaney earned a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Godbold School of Business at Gardner-Webb in 2017. He played three seasons at Covenant, seeing action in 56 career games. He started 16 games at guard over his career and earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Covenant in 2015.
DeLaney got his start in coaching as a student assistant at Covenant during the 2014-2015 season.
