West Virginia Wesleyan College is pleased to announce the hiring of Gary Nottingham (seated left) today as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program.
Nottingham comes to West Virginia Wesleyan College after spending 10 successful seasons as the Assistant to Head Coach Bruce Weber at the University of Illinois from 2003-2013.
During his time at Illinois, the Fighting Illini program reached unparalleled heights.
The 2004-05 Illinois team reached the NCAA Finals against the University of North Carolina. It was the first-ever appearance for Illinois in a NCAA Championship game. During that season, Illinois was ranked No. 1 in the nation for 15 straight weeks and reeled off 29 straight victories.
Nottingham helped managed day-to-day basketball operations and assisted in practice planning and game strategy. He also served as in-game advisor to coach Weber for play calls, late-game strategy, and end of the game situational advice.
He was also the video coordinator for all opponent game scouting, team and individual improvement, analyzed video of all future opponents for game planning.
He assisted in the development of five NBA draft picks, including three first rounders, Luther Head, Myers Leonard and Deron Williams.
In Nottingham’s 10 years at Illinois, they earned six NCAA National Tournament appearances, advanced to the Final Four once, and the Sweet Sixteen twice.
Nottingham will return to his native West Virginia after growing up in Gassaway, WV.
A 1979 graduate of Glenville State College, he lettered in both basketball and baseball. He earned his master’s degree from Western Kentucky University in 1980. In that same year, he returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant football coach, head tennis coach and assistant basketball coach.
In 1983, at just 26 years of age, Glenville State named Nottingham their new men’s head basketball coach. It was a position he would hold until 1997.
During his tenure at Glenville State, Nottingham accumulated 207 wins. His men’s basketball teams posted 10 winning seasons, second most in school history. His 1993 team compiled a 21-5 record and a No. 18 ranking in the NAIA. For his accomplishments that season, he was named WVIAC Coach of the Year and NAIA District Coach of the Year. His Glenville State teams advanced to the WVIAC Tournament semi-finals five times.
In 2007, he was inducted into the Glenville State College Hall of Fame.
Following his time at Glenville State, Nottingham accepted a position as head coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, SC.
His best season at USC-Upstate came in 1998 when he led the Rifles to a 22-7 mark, the NCAA Div. II Regional Semifinals and Top 20 national ranking. Spartanburg won the 1998 Peach Belt Championship.
He is married to the former Jennifer Chapman of Richwood, WV. The couple have two children, Paulina, a sophomore on the West Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team, and Quin, a two-sport star and rising junior at Champaign Centennial High School.
West Virginia Wesleyan will hold a press conference this Thursday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. in Rockefeller Center introducing Nottingham as the next head coach of the men’s basketball program.
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