Georgia Southern Coaching Education Newsletter

August 2022

From left to right: Hal Wilson, Joe Ehrmann, & Drew Zwald

Message from the Coordinator

Welcome to our first newsletter and thank you for your support. I believe that coaches can change lives because they changed mine! Our Coaching Education program is, in my opinion, the best in the nation because of people like you. My name is Dr. Hal Wilson and I am honored to continue the tradition of excellence established by Dr. Drew Zwald. We are happy that Dr. Zwald is still teaching for us and we look forward to continuing to lean on him for wisdom. If you would like to wish Dr. Zwald well or share a story about him, please click here.

Each month we will share information connecting the real world to our coaching minor and fully-online master's program. Please let us know if you ever have questions or we can support your coaching.

Press on,

Coach Hal Wilson, PhD

Alumni Spotlight

“For me I think it is important for coaches to put as much time into the craft of coaching as they want their players to put into the craft of playing the game."

-Sharman White ('95)

Coach Sharman White ('95) is one of the most decorated basketball coaches in the nation- and it all started as an undergraduate at Georgia Southern. Coach White is currently the head boys’ basketball coach at Pace Academy in Georgia, head coach of the 2022 USA Basketball Men's U17 National Team which won gold at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, and also served as head coach for the gold medal winning 2021 USA Basketball Men's U16 National Team.

Coach White's high school teams at Miller Grove HS (GA) won 7 state championships and the court was named in his honor! After a successful but brief period as a NCAA DI assistant coach, Coach White returned to the high school coaching ranks and led Pace Academy to 2 more state titles. Yet, as his quote on the left shows, he is always looking to grow as a coach!

A recap of this remarkable run of state championships:

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, & 2021

Real World Connections

Our Coaching Education programs prepare coaches for opportunities at every level of play. In fact, our graduates have coached at the youth, scholastic, collegiate, and professional levels. We are always evaluating our curriculum to make sure we are preparing our students for the real world. Below is one recent example of a real-world coaching opportunity and an example of how our program prepares students for opportunities like these:

Youth Sports Coach - Volo Kids Foundation (Denver · CO)

"A passionate, driven group of innovators within the youth sports industry. Coaches serve our kids and families by providing a safe and fun experience on the field. "

Inside Look - Principles of Coaching

KINS 3430: Principles of Coaching

This is a required course in our coaching minor. The catalog describes it this way: "Introduces the student to the sport science principles of coaching. Topics Include philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, physiology, management, first aid and injury prevention." Importantly, students must actually coach in our local community to give them hands on experience and an opportunity to apply what they are learning. In addition, students are able to earn GHSA Lay Coach Certification which allows them to be assistant coaches at any GHSA school in the state. We are the only university in the state with this distinction. Courses like these prepare our students for real-world coaching opportunities so that they can be a positive influence on athletes and communities.

“Sport coaches have the opportunity to change an athlete’s life. The purpose of the Principles of Coaching course is to prepare future coaches with the fundamental skills needed to positively impact the next generation of athletes.”

-Jeff Ward ('16, '17M), Visiting Instructor

Celebrating Our Students

Graduate Students of the Semester- Spring 2022

Each of these graduate students was nominated by one of our full-time faculty members for their outstanding performance and attitude. Congratulations!

Hannah Belew
Chris Ekstom
Corey Garrett
Leigh Gawson
Ryan Hill
Joshua Moore
Josh Slate

Undergraduate Students of the Semester- Spring 2022

Each of these undergraduate students was nominated by one of our full-time faculty members for their outstanding performance and attitude. Congratulations!