Gardner-Webb announced Monday that the men’s basketball program had hired DeAntoine Beasley as an assistant coach.
Beasley spent the 2013-2014 season as an assistant at Pensacola State (Fla.) College, where he helped the Pirates to a 21-11 overall record in the junior college ranks and the program’s 15th Panhandle Conference title.
Beasley has a wealth of Division I coaching experience under his belt, having served for two seasons as an assistant coach at Chattanooga from 2011-2013 under Coach John Shulman. Beasley also coached one season at his alma mater, Tennessee Tech, under Coach Mike Sutton.
The Atlanta, Ga., native is familiar with Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft, who he worked with as a graduate manager at Auburn in 2009-2010.
“I’m excited to have DeAntoine Beasely join our staff,” said Craft. “Having worked alongside him at Auburn, I know the type of character and talent that he will bring to our program. His experiences as a coach and player at both the college and professional levels will be invaluable to the development of our student-athletes – both on and off the court.”
Beasley joined the Auburn staff after playing seven seasons professionally in England – and also launched his coaching career internationally, coaching at the University of St. Mark and St. John from 2003-2005. His coaching was rewarded with national titles in 2003 and 2004.
Beasley was a perennial all-star during his playing career in England and was MVP in the National Trophy race in 2004. He also won the 2004 BBC Sports Personality Award for the Southwest Region.
As a player in the college ranks, Beasley played in 120 games for the Golden Eagles at Tennessee Tech – averaging a career-high 8.5 points per game as a junior. His biggest victory came off the court, as he overcame a Hodgkin’s Disease diagnosis midway through his sophomore season.
The former South Cobb (Ga.) High standout completed his sophomore season before starting treatment for the disease, redshirted the next season and returned for his junior season in 2000-2001.
Beasley helped the Golden Eagles to OVC titles in 2001 and 2002, with the 2002 squad going a strong 27-7 and winning three NIT games – over Georgia State, Dayton and Yale – before falling to John Calipari and eventual NIT champion Memphis in the quarterfinals by just six points.
Beasley was honored as the Sam Harley Lynn Award recipient in 1999 and earned the Golden Eagle Award for sacrifice, dedication and hard work in 2001-02. He also won the John P. Hendrix Leadership Award as a junior and senior while serving as the Golden Eagles’ team captain.
Beasley is the only student-athlete in Tennessee Tech history to win all three awards. He graduated from the Cookeville, Tenn., school with a degree in health and physical education in 2004.
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