Dunford Joins Upstate Women's Basketball Coaching Staff
7/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Spartanburg, S.C. – After two years as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, Ollin Dunford has joined the USC Upstate women's basketball coaching staff, head coach Tammy George announced Friday. Dunford will assist in all aspects of the program.
"I feel like there is something really special going on in Spartanburg," Dunford said. "Coach George is a class act who leads by example. I feel like it is a great opportunity for me as an assistant coach to grow and learn. I believe Upstate is a great place that is positioning itself as a cornerstone for women's basketball in the South Carolina."
Dunford, a letterwinner in football and basketball while at Mars Hill College, replaces Kiki Glass, who resigned to pursue other opportunities. Dunford spent the last two years as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, serving in a myriad of roles for the Hokies.
"Ollin is an excellent fit for us," George said. "He has had some good experiences that will help us greatly. He has been at a small school (Mars Hill) and a large one (Virginia Tech), so he has some broad experience to draw from as he comes to Upstate. He has a great personality that I think will make him a successful recruiter, and his energy and drive will certainly help our program continue to build on the success we achieved this year. "
Dunford graduated from Mars Hill College in 2008, where he played both football and men's basketball for the Lions. He was a four-time Who's Who Among American Collegiate Students recipient and also was a four-time member of the South Atlantic Conference Honor Roll. Dunford was active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during his time at Mars Hill, serving as a representative for the school to the South Atlantic Conference and for the SAC to the NCAA Division II.
"Through my experiences at Virginia Tech and Mars Hill as a coach and student-athlete, I have been provided with a great foundation," Dunford said. "Both places gave me a great perspective. I like to describe myself as a blue-collar guy. I want to outwork you. I believe in the principles of persistence, integrity and toughness. Again, I got to experience both sides in my time as a student-athlete at Mars Hill and working under head coach Beth Dunkenberger at Virginia Tech in the ACC, which is arguably the best conference in the country. To get the opportunity to grow in that environment was special. Getting to come back to the area and be a part of a mid-major program, at a place with such great leadership under Coach George who was the A-Sun Coach of the Year last year, is an honor. The opportunity to work for and alongside Coach George and the rest of the staff is a tremendous opportunity. I truly feel we will do some great things here."
Dunford was both all-conference and all-region in both football and basketball at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, N.C. He earned his Bachelor's of Arts degree with a double major in sociology and psychology from Mars Hill and his Master's of Science degree in Physical Health and Education at Virginia Tech.
Upstate is coming off their most successful season in 15 years after posting a 20-9 overall record and finishing third in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 14-6 mark. The Spartans, in their third year of Division I play, were bolstered by the play of A-Sun Freshman of the Year Tee'Ara Copney and All-A-Sun First Team selection Chelsea McMillan. The Spartans, who will be in their last year of the transition in 2010-11 before becoming eligible for the A-Sun and NCAA postseason tournaments in 2011-12, return three starters and eight letterwinners and also feature the A-Sun's Coach of the Year, Tammy George.
