Clark head men’s basketball coach Tyler Simms announced the addition of Tyler Strange to his coaching staff on Wednesday in the role of Assistant Coach.
“We are extremely excited to have Tyler join our program,” stated Simms. “He brings a great deal of experience as a coach, most recently coming from Division I Wofford University where they won 19 games last season, as well as a highly decorated player at Gardner-Webb and playing professionally overseas. Each of these experiences, coupled with his roots in the Central Massachusetts area, will greatly benefit our student-athletes and our program.”
Strange comes to Clark after two years with the Wofford men’s basketball program as a special assistant to head coach Jay McAuley. He started his position with Wofford on August 20, 2021. Strange joined the program after spending the last three seasons at Montreat College.
“I would like to thank Coach Simms and Clark University for giving me the opportunity to be here as an assistant coach,” said Strange. “Coach Simms is an exceptionally knowledgeable coach and I am looking forward to learning from him each day. We have a great, talented group of young men here at Clark, and I look forward to helping them achieve and exceed their goals both on and off the court.”
In Strange’s first season with the Terriers, Wofford posted a 19-13 overall record with a 10-8 Southern Conference mark. He helped lift the Terriers to a road win over the SEC’s Georgia and a No. 4 seed entering the Southern Conference Tournament. Two players earned All-SoCon honors, B.J. Mack on the second team and Max Klesmit on the third team.
At Montreat, Strange was hands-on with a multitude of tasks within the program, such as serving as head coach for Montreat’s junior varsity program, in addition to his coaching duties with the varsity, pre-practice preparation, preparing scouting reports and recruiting.
Strange made an immediate impact upon joining the Cavaliers’ coaching staff in 2018, helping Montreat land multiple national top-25 rankings, an Appalachian Athletic Conference finals appearance, and reach the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship for just the third time in program history with a 23-8 record for the 2018-19 season.
With Strange’s assistance in just his second year, the Cavaliers would notch a consecutive 20-win season at 24-9, a consecutive AAC finals appearance and the school’s fourth and second-straight NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship berth for the 2019-20 season.
Overall, Strange helped produce and coached seven All-Appalachian Athletic Conference selections during his three years at Montreat, including the 2020 AAC Player of the Year and NAIA Third Team All-American. Additionally, Strange was a four-year member of the Gardner-Webb men’s basketball program as a student-athlete from 2011-15, having previously played under coach McAuley and assistant coach Paul Hemrick during their time coaching for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
As a student-athlete, Strange was a four-year starter and point guard for Gardner-Webb, holding program records as the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ all-time leader in assists (651) – which also ranks second all-time in Big South history – and steals (207). A two-year captain, Strange enjoyed a decorated career at Gardner-Webb, leading the Runnin’ Bulldogs to 68 wins during his career (the second-highest total for an individual player in the school’s Division I era), while also being a part of squads that nabbed marquee wins over DePaul in 2012, Clemson in 2014 – most notably at the hands of a crucial late game-tying 3-pointer from Strange – and Purdue in 2014.
Having collected First Team All-Big South honors his senior year, while also being named the Cleveland Country Christian Athlete of the Year in 2015, he additionally set a record for most minutes played ever upon graduation from Gardner-Webb.
After college, Strange played at the professional level internationally for over two years in countries such as Montenegro, China, and Canada. He also coached at his high school alma mater, Notre Dame Prep, where he had the opportunity to coach three NCAA Division I athletes.
A native of Leominster, Massachusetts, Strange graduated from Gardner-Webb in the spring of 2015 with a degree in business administration.
https://www.clarkathletics.com/general/2022-23/releases/20220916fy398o
