The Oglethorpe men’s basketball team will have a new assistant coach headed into the 2017-18 season. Zach Altany joins the Oglethorpe coaching staff, coming to the Stormy Petrels after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Division II Georgia College in Milledgeville.

“I am very excited to have Zach join the Stormy Petrel family as our full-time assistant,” said Oglethorpe head coach Philip Ponder. “I have known [Georgia College head coach Mark] Gainous for over 15 years, and he highly recommended Zach. Zach has played and coached in some great programs under some great coaches, and is a great addition to the staff.”

Altany started his playing career at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina in 2011 before transferring to Division I Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, where he competed from 2013 through 2015. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List in all six of his semesters at Georgia Southern, and was named Georgia Southern Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2014-15.

While in Statesboro, Altany served as an assistant coach at nearby Bulloch Academy. He taught varsity and junior varsity athletes fundamental basketball techniques at the middle and high school levels.

Altany earned his bachelor’s degree in science sport management from Georgia Southern in 2015. He completed his master’s degree in health and human performance at Georgia College in 2017.

“I’m excited to be joining the Oglethorpe basketball program,” said Altany. “Oglethorpe is an outstanding academic institution with an excellent location just north of Atlanta, and has a great basketball tradition. I’m excited to work with Coach Ponder, as well. I got to know some of the guys last week as we all worked summer camp, and I’m looking forward to working with them and to getting on the recruiting trail.”

http://www.gopetrels.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/releases/20170731n3ssxm