Story: Kadie Snipes, High Point Athletics

High Point men’s basketball head coach Flynn Clayman announced the addition of Ben Fletcher to the 2025-26 coaching staff. Fletcher joins the Panthers after spending the past two seasons at the University of South Florida while offering 20 years of coaching experience.

“To God Be the Glory!” Coach Fletcher exclaimed. “I am very excited to join the High Point family! I would like to thank Coach Clayman for this amazing opportunity. I feel privileged to join such a talented and committed group of men.”

“Coach Fletcher is well respected in the coaching world.” Coach Clayman commented. “His leadership has helped lead his previous two first-time division I head coaches to NCAA tournament appearances at both Troy and Kennesaw State. He also helped lead USF to their first Top 25 ranking in 2023-2024 and did an admirable job as an interim head coach in a difficult situation at USF last season. We are excited to welcome Ben and his fiancé, Tabitha, to the High Point University family.”

Fletcher was named the interim head coach at South Florida for the 2024-25 season on October 29th following the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim. South Florida finished the 2024-25 season with a 13-19 overall record and a 6-12 record in league play. Two players were named to the All-AAC Teams.

Fletcher, who served as assistant head coach during the 2023-24 season, was promoted to associate head coach in June 2024. He brought a wealth of coaching experience, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to the SFU men’s basketball program both on and off the court. Known for his dedication to player development, Coach Fletcher was instrumental in guiding the Bulls to success last season.

During the 2023-24 season, USF saw an incredible transformation, with a focus on competitive excellence, community engagement, and the development of a strong team culture. The Bulls compiled a 25-8 record and won their first regular-season conference championship. They were also ranked in the top 25 for the first time in program history.

Prior to his time at USF, Fletcher spent four seasons as an assistant coach under Abdur-Rahim during their rebuild at Kennesaw State that saw the Owls go from one win in 2019-20 to a school-record 26 wins in 2022-23 and the program’s first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance. 

At Kennesaw State (2019-23), Fletcher helped guide the Owls to the fastest turnaround from a one-win team to an NCAA Tournament team, accomplishing the feat in just three seasons. Kennesaw State posted a 26-9 record in 2022-23, won the ASUN regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. It marked the Owls’ first winning record as an NCAA Division I program and first ASUN conference titles.

Kennesaw State was picked to finish eighth in the ASUN preseason poll but tallied a 15-3 league record. KSU’s 15 conference wins were five more than the program’s previous record of 10, while the Owls tied for fourth in the nation with 10 road wins, four more than the 2016-17 team’s program record of six.

The Owls went on to post three wins in the conference tournament, downing Liberty (67-66) in the final to earn the tournament title and automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament, the program’s first-ever. KSU scored 75.0 points per game and shot 46.1 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three to nearly double the program’s previous high wins mark in Division I. The 14th-seeded Owls took No. 3-seed Xavier to the limit in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, nearly pulling off the first-round upset in what was a one-point game in the final seconds before eventually falling 72-67. 

Star guard Chris Youngblood was named a first-team All-Conference and All-District selection and became the first KSU player to be named Georgia Men’s Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Meanwhile, guard Terrell Burden earned second-team All-Conference and All-District honors, marking the first time in program history the Owls received district accolades of any kind. Further, Brandon Stroud was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to Kennesaw State, Fletcher spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach at Troy University (2005-19).

The 2016-17 season was one of the most successful in Troy’s history. The Trojans had their most wins (22) since the 2003-04 season, and the largest wins improvement in program history (9 wins in 2015-16). Troy won the Sun Belt tournament championship that season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Fletcher was instrumental in the Trojans’ rise in the Sun Belt Conference, culminating in Troy’s first Sun Belt title in 2010 and second straight postseason berth. He helped guide the Trojans to a 14-4 league record during the 2008-09 campaign, highlighted by wins over every member of the Sun Belt Conference, the only team to accomplish the feat that year.

After playing in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2009, the Trojans went on to win the Sun Belt regular season championship in 2009-10 and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) berth.

Under Fletcher’s guidance in 2013-14, Hunter Williams made 98 3-pointers, setting the Troy single-season record, which was previously held by Fletcher.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Fletcher was one of the greatest players in Troy’s Division I history. Fletcher played for the Trojans from 2001-03, averaging 13.4 points per game during his career.

He was named first-team All-Atlantic Sun his senior year (2002-03), helping the Trojans to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level. During that season, he made a Troy Division I single-season record 92 three-pointers, eventually broken by Hunter Williams, who was coached by Fletcher. Fletcher finished his career with 160 made three-pointers, the sixth most in Troy’s Division I history.

Fletcher earned a B.S. in sport and fitness management from Troy in 2003. He served as a student assistant at Troy for two seasons before being named assistant coach in 2005.

Originally from Selma, Ala., Fletcher has the distinction of being a member of both Trojan squads that reached the NCAA Tournament, first as a player on the 2002-03 team and then as a coach with the 2016-17 team.

COACHING HISTORY
2024-25             South Florida (Interim Head Coach)
2023-24             South Florida (Assistant Coach)
2019-23             Kennesaw State (Assistant Coach)
2005-19             Troy University (Assistant Coach)