http://rattlernews.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...0507/FAMU06/80507014

May 7, 2008
FAMU chooses high school coach for women's basketball vacancy
Tallahassee Democrat, Doug Blackburn, Asst. Sports Editor

Florida A&M University reached into the high school ranks for its new head women’s basketball coach.

Ledawn Gibson, a successful coach at Winter Haven High the past 12 years, was introduced on Wednesday as the Lady Rattlers’ new basketball coach.

She replaces Debra Clark, whose contract was not renewed after seven years at FAMU.

Gibson’s three-year, $90,000 contract was approved by the FAMU board Wednesday morning.

“I like to win,” Gibson said. “I’m going to come full force, just like I did in high school.”

The 39-year-old Gibson compiled a record of 331-48 at Winter Haven, which was the Class 5A runner-up last season. She won state titles in 2005 and 2007.

“I’m tickled to death. This young lady has passion and she just radiates passion,” FAMU Athletic Director William Hayes said. “I think she’s going to be a great fit for our program.”

Among Gibson’s first duties will be meeting the returning players from a team that started the 2007-08 season with a nine-game winning streak, but finished 14-17 and went just 3-8 in MEAC play. She’ll also be interviewing for assistant coaches.

“I’m coming in with a clean slate,” the Winter Haven native said. “Last year was last year. We’re going to build around our character.”

FAMU President James Ammons, who helped place an orange Rattlers cap atop Gibson’s head at the conclusion of her press conference, praised the newest member of the university’s athletic department.

“Today is the dawn of a new era in the life of the women’s basketball program at Florida A&M,” Ammons said. “I’m confident we found the right coach for our program.”

I'm just as shocked as you are.

But hey we'll see what she can bring to the Hill.

She could be the one to turn it around.

Why is this unreal? Sounds like a promotion to me and she's getting her collegiate coaching experince at an HBCU.

Would it have been unreal if she had gone to a PWI?

Let's be real. This is a shock and if I'm one of the players I'm transferring. FAMU officially said they don't care about women's basketball. Running a high school program is vastly different from running a college program. The time, the committment, the academics, the fundraising, the training it's a whole other animal. How would you guys feel if this hire was coming to your program. Would you be as optimistic? Hell no. This sounds like a budget hire. She can't be making that much coming from a high school program and you can't tell me there aren't other qualified coaches at the collegiate level. What happened to the Cynthia Cooper rumor? Just asking?

I wish her success but i don't think this will be a good experiment.

But how does the high school coach get collegiate experience if he doesn't work at the collegiate level?

quote:

Originally posted by hampton blueblood:
What happened to the Cynthia Cooper rumor? Just asking?

It was just that, a RUMOR.

Become an assistant and learn how the game is played at this level. To hire her as your head coach says either you didn't look or you don't care.

Nuts again!

quote:

Originally posted by hampton blueblood:
Become an assistant and learn how the game is played at this level. To hire her as your head coach says either you didn't look or you don't care.

I see - head coach vs. asst.

Thanks!

Good luck with the new hire

quote:

Originally posted by 90Aggie:

quote:

Originally posted by hampton blueblood:
Become an assistant and learn how the game is played at this level. To hire her as your head coach says either you didn't look or you don't care.

I see - head coach vs. asst.

Thanks!

i'm not saying she can't be a great coach but we all know there is more to coaching at the college level than XO's. It takes some adjusting too.

To be honest, this move may work out. We looked at a HS coach when we were doing our coaching search, or at least the Bulldog Faithful thought there was a candidate from HS who was certainly qualified enough to be able to do the job.

It happens. This may just be the person to come in and make it happen for FAMU. Heck, might even produce the next Natalie White!! (Rattler fans remember her)

There is a reason the MEAC is one of the worst conferences in Division 1 Men's and Women's basketball. The MEAC is the employer of last resort for people who can't get hired elsewhere in Division 1.

Natalie White was a star. This was surprising pick, but this coach seems to have a record that speaks for itself...if she she can recruit well in Florida and beyond and can bring the Rattlers a quality winning team similar to her highschool teams that was full of Div 1A women talent she can FAMU can go a long way.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida A&M University announced Wednesday morning that LeDawn S. Gibson, the former head girls basketball coach at nationally-regarded Winter Haven (Fla.) High School had been appointed the school's new Women's Basketball coach.


The official announcement was made during an early morning press briefing in the lobby of historic Lee Hall on the FAMU campus, tabbing Gibson, the most successful girls basketball coach in Polk County (Fla.) history to the coaching post left vacant following the release in March of Debra Clark.


"We are pleased that we found someone that we believe is a good fit for our program," said Athletic Director Bill Hayes. "She is a talented coach who has demonstrated from year-to-year that she has what it takes to lead us to a championship."


The FAMU Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a three-year contract for Gibson with an annual salary of $90,000.


Gibson, 39, who led Winter Haven High for 12 seasons, elevated the Blue Devils' program to a perennial contender for state honors and vaulted them to Top 25 status in the USA TODAY National High School rankings.


The Blue Devils were ranked No.1 in the State of Florida for nine straight seasons (2000-08), while finishing in the USA TODAY Top 10 High School National rankings this past season (2007-08).


Winter Haven's clubs were ranked in the Girls High School Basketball Top 15 in both 2004-05 and 2006-07.


The 2006-07 Class 5A Coach of the Year, Gibson was a six-time Lakeland Ledger Coach of the Year and was cited by the Winter Haven News Chief as its' Girls Coach of the Year from 1999 through 2008.

In her 12 seasons at Winter Haven High, the Blue Devils compiled a scintillating 331-48 record, highlighted by two state championships in 2005 (Class 4A) and 2007 (Class 5A), seven Finals appearances, eight Final Four appearances overall, plus nine district and eight regional titles.


This past March, Winter Haven finished 30-3 overall, reaching the 5A State finals for the fifth consecutive season, just a year after winning the state title.


Twenty-seven (27) of her players advanced to collegiate basketball careers, twelve (12) playing on the NCAA Division One level for such programs as Connecticut, Kentucky, Memphis, South Florida and Indiana.


Two of her players - LaQwesha Gamble (2005) and Tiffany Hayes (2008) were named Florida Miss Basketball.

Gibson is a graduate of Winter Haven High School and she holds an A.A. in Elementary Education from Polk Community College, a B.S. degree in Organizational Management from Warner Southern College in Lakeland, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in Tampa.

What's the big deal with FAMU hiring a high school Head Coach as their new Women's Basketball Head Coach?

Here in Texas there have been several prominent High School Football Head Coaches that were selected as Div. 1A Head Football Coaches.

University of Houston's and now Baylor University Head Football Coach Art Briles (sp) was a former Head Football Coach.

University of North Texas's Head Football Coach was once the former High School Coach at Southlake Carroll High School.

So really, if a Div. 1 A Football program can hire a former High School Coach, why can't an HBCU hire a Women's Basketball High School Coach?

"What are ANY of us/y'all talking about?"

The MEAC/HBCU's collectively is not even a solid notch above what most of the HS programs some of the kids we want to consider coming to our schools come from and are accustomed to.

In some cases it's even a step BACK ... Which is also a reason why a lot of us can't keep most of the ones we DO con-vince into coming long enough to even graduate!

She can't be any worse than any of these other rejects and retreads that are out here ... so let's give the woman a chance to show what she can do!

I hope this time next year, you'll all be saying it was "unreal" ... That her squad kicked y'all's @sses so bad!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FAMUVenom,

quote:

Originally posted by 90Aggie:
But how does the high school coach get collegiate experience if he doesn't work at the collegiate level?

As an assistant.

quote:

Originally posted by TruBluJAG06:
What's the big deal with FAMU hiring a high school Head Coach as their new Women's Basketball Head Coach?

Here in Texas there have been several prominent High School Football Head Coaches that were selected as Div. 1A Head Football Coaches.

University of Houston's and now Baylor University Head Football Coach Art Briles (sp) was a former Head Football Coach.

University of North Texas's Head Football Coach was once the former High School Coach at Southlake Carroll High School.

So really, if a Div. 1 A Football program can hire a former High School Coach, why can't an HBCU hire a Women's Basketball High School Coach?

Exception to the rule AND you forget that both N.Texas AND Houston (two Texas college football teams in a state BIG ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL) fund their programs. Something that not too many HBCUs are willing to do. Most of us barely give enough to keep football afloat. How high is the level of commitment to WOMEN'S B-BALL?

Both schools (especially Houston) are willing to give the support needed. Coming in as a HS coach into a HBCU situation isn't easy to say the least, Ask Mike McCleese.