| Skyhawk women in need of coach | | Posted: Friday, May 29, 2009 7:48 pm
| UT Martin is in the market for a new head women’s basketball coach.
Tara Tansil-Gentry, an 18-year veteran of the program, is giving up her head coaching duties and will be reassigned to a teaching position within the university, UTM Director of Athletics Phil Dane accounced today.
Tansil-Gentry’s tenure with the program included five years as a player, eight years as an assistant coach and five years as head coach.
“We appreciate everything Tara has done for the program and the university in her 18 years at UT Martin, and I am very supportive of her request to be reassigned to a teaching position in the department of Health and Human Performance,” Dane said in a university release.
“It is a testimony to Tara’s dedication to UT Martin that an academic department will be utilizing her teaching capabilities and experience. We certainly want to wish Tara all the best in this new endeavor.”
In five years at the helm of the Skyhawks, Tansil-Gentry posted a 41-104 record as head coach and a 26-68 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.
She guided the program to a pair of OVC Tournament appearances, and came within one point of a berth in the conference’s championship game in an overtime loss in 2007.
Tansil-Gentry produced two All-OVC First Team and two All-OVC Second Team selections as head coach, while also guiding eight players to weekly accolades from the conference.
“I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to coach at my alma mater and have truly enjoyed my time being a part of the UT Martin athletics department,” Tansil-Gentry said in a prepared statement.
“My decision to move into a teaching position is strictly for family reasons and is a good opportunity for me to continue with this university. This was a decision reached by my family and me, and I am excited about my new position.”
“I sincerely regret the timing of this situation, but I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of the basketball program and all UT Martin athletics in this community.
Tansil-Gentry served as an assistant coach for eight years at UT Martin prior to assuming the head coaching position.
In 2004 during her time as an assistant, the team compiled a 105-122 record and advanced to the OVC tournament seven times.
UT Martin advanced to the OVC tournament title game twice, and in 1999 the team posted a 22-9 overall record and won the OVC championship.
The Skyhawks also advanced to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). In the WNIT, UT Martin defeated Ole Miss in the opening round 77-66 before falling to Memphis 87-73 in the second round.
Tansil-Gentry, a Greenfield High School prep star, was a standout player at UT Martin from 1991-95.
She started all 105 games of her playing career and was twice named to the All-OVC Second Team and once to the All-OVC Honorable Mention team.
When her playing days were done, she was the program’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,702 points in addition to being at the top of 13 statistical categories. She held career records for both free throws attempted and made along with three-point field goals attempted and made.
Tansil-Gentry also held four individual season records and five game records for the then Lady Pacers. Tansil-Gentry still holds the career records for free throws made and attempted along with three-point shots attempted.
In January of 1996, UT Martin honored Tansil-Gentry’s efforts as a student-athlete by retiring her No. 24. She was honored again in 2000, when she was inducted into the University of Tennessee at Martin Athletics Hall of Fame.
“We will begin a search immediately for the next UT Martin women’s basketball coach,” Dane added. “We hope to move as quickly and efficiently as we possibly can, but we’re still going to be thorough so we find the best fit for UT Martin.” | | | | |
