HBCU coach shockingly announces retirement after 20 years
Yesterday at 09:05 PM
The Horace Broadnax coaching era at Savannah State University has come to an end — during the middle of the Tigers season. On Monday, January 6th, Broadnax shockingly announced his coaching retirement after spending 20 years as the Tigers head coach. Assistant coach Clevan Thompson has assumed Interim head coaching duties for the remainder of the season.
Savannah State Director of Athletics Opio Mashariki released a statement thanking Broadnax for his tenure as the school’s head coach.
“I have immense respect and gratitude for everything Coach Broadnax has done, we congratulate him on his retirement and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors,” said Mashariki.
After becoming the program’s 11th head coach in history on April 11, 2005, Broadnax spent the last 20 years leading the Tigers to significant success. The Tigers won the 2 MEAC Championships (2012, 2018) and a SIAC Championship (2022) under Broadnax’s leadership.
The Tiger’s 2012 championship run marked the school’s first-ever MEAC championship with a 14-2 conference record. The team’s conference success ultimately led to multiple postseason appearances. After earning a spot in the National Invitation Tournament in 2012, the Tigers earned two College Insider.com (CIT) Tournament appearances and a NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2022.
Broadnax’s winning ways stemmed all the way back to his time as a basketball player. He played college basketball at Georgetown University from 1982 to 1986 and was a point guard for the 1984 national championship team. However, all good things must come to an end.
Despite the Tigers holding a 5-6 record at the time of Broadnax’s retirement, Broadnax felt confident in his decision to retire.
“I’m happy about my decision to retire here at Savannah State,” said coach Broadnax. “The experience here has been very rewarding and I am extremely excited for my future as well as the future of the program.”
Now, the Tigers must prepare for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign without their familiar leader. Despite the Tiger’s adversity, interim head coach Clevan Thompson is prepared for the challenge.
“I’m excited to take the leadership role of this program,” said Thompson. “Coach Broadnax has left a positive mark on this program and I am up for the challenge of leading the team and building on his legacy.”
Thompson, a 2003 graduate of Savannah State University, spent nearly two decades coaching boys’ basketball at Bethesda Academy. Under Thompson, the Blazers won two state titles and made eight state championship appearances.
The post HBCU coach shockingly announces retirement after 20 years appeared first on ClutchPoints.
