AMERICUS, Ga. -- First-year women's head basketball coach Justin Payne was named Week 1, Division II WHoopdirt.com Coach of the Week to cap his first week coaching the Lady Hurricanes. Presented by Pivot Analysis, Payne is now eligible to receive the WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award, which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2019-20 college basketball season.
In his first game at the helm, Payne led the Lady Hurricanes to their largest margin of victory (54 points) since they joined NCAA Division II. GSW followed up this huge win with a far closer contest – a 72-71 victory coming thanks to a half-court buzzer beater from sophomore Jamesha Samuel. Lastly, GSW defeated Albany State, 81-66, that pushed the Lady Hurricanes to 3-0 on the season.
GSW closes out their November slate hosting Middle Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 19 before competing in the Valdosta State Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 29-30 against host Valdosta State and Eckerd College.
Week 1 Whoopdirt.com Coaches of the Week:
NCAA DI: Dawn Staley - University of South Carolina
NCAA DII: Justin Payne - Georgia Southwestern State University
NCAA DIII: Melissa Kuberka - St. John Fishers College (NY)
NAIA: Courtney Boyd - Clarke University (IA)
JUCO: Bart Walker - Northwest Florida State College
Pivot Analysis is the market leader in college basketball advanced stat generation and visualization. Their products make it easy to identify optimal lineup rotations, scout an opponent's strengths and weaknesses, evaluate a player's impact on the team, and identify prospects for the next level. Visit www.pivotanalysis.com to learn more about how our tools can be used to save you time and effort.
WHoopDirt.com is the largest website in the country dedicated specifically to women's college basketball coaching news, jobs, and rumors at all levels. WHoopDirt.com brings a unique insider perspective to the world of college basketball coaching – it was founded by college coaches as a way to help the college basketball community stay informed of what is going on in the coaching profession.