| UT Martin names new women’s basketball coach | By: Stephanie Sturgis, Sports Editor
| Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2009 2:28 pm
| 
Kevin McMillan at a press conference Monday afternoon | | | Basketball fans in Weakley County welcomed the return of a familiar face to the sidelines. Kevin McMillan, who led the Westview Lady Chargers basketball team to three state tournament trips and a runner-up finish in 2003, was introduced as the new Skyhawk women’s basketball head coach at a press conference on the UT Martin campus on Monday afternoon.
“I’d like to thank Chancellor Rakes and (athletic director) Phil Dane and the (search committee) for the opportunity,” McMillan said. “I won’t be able to thank them enough. I hope what we can do here in the future is going to be enough thanks.”
McMillan, coming off winning the 2009 Class AA state championship in his second year at the helm of the Gibson County High School girls program, replaces Greenfield native Tara Tansil-Gentry, who stepped down from the job on May 29 after spending the past five years as head coach of the Skyhawks.
“That was Plan A and Plan B was to go back to the drawing board, but we all hoped we wouldn’t have to do that,” UTM Athletic Director Phil Dane said of McMillan leaping to the forefront of the interview process.
The successful coaching veteran started his head coaching career at Millington before spending eight years leading Westview. The 42-year-old then accepted an assistant coaching position at Middle Tennessee State University under head coach Rick Insell.
At MTSU, McMillan’s duties included acting as head assistant in charge of recruiting, experience that will be valuable in helping rebuild a UTM team that has holes to fill from the 2008-09 squad that finished with a 2-27 overall record and 0-18 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
It was McMillan’s recruiting that helped load an MTSU roster that won consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles and back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.
Skyhawk fans are hoping that the wins will come soon for the new head coach with a career record of 434-120 during his 17 years in charge.
WCP 6.16.09 | | | | |
