August 2nd, 2021 by WCBC Radio
Men's Basketball Hall of Fame coach Dennis Gibson announced today he has decided he will not return to Garrett College for a 37th season as Head Basketball Coach.
"It's a bittersweet decision. The program is at its highest level ever and my assistant coaches and I have left it in a very good place. Coach Hoffman and Coach Hegeman did a great job of recruiting and we had a strong nucleus returning.”
Gibson said that his future is a bit up in the air.
“I am not sure I am done coaching, I have had a few schools reach out to me, but right now I need to do what is best for all based on recent circumstances. My assistants, Jon Hegeman and Jeff Hoffman, have also elected to move on as coaches, but Garrett should have no problem finding a replacement.”
Gibson, who leaves Garrett with a record of 714-397, took his teams to four NJCAA national tournament appearances and produced numerous Basketball and Academic All Americans, All Region XX, and All Maryland JUCO performers. This past season team featured First Team All American Malik Whitaker and Second Team All American Cam Selders. D'monte Brown was also selected to the Natioanl All Tournament team, another first for Garrett Men's Basketball. The Lakers fourth place finish in this year's tournament is the best ever for Garrett and makes it possibly the smallest enrollment school ever to make it that far.
“My assistants and I built the program on loyalty and commitment, which is becoming rare these days,” added Gibson, noting that his five top players Whitaker, Davis Molloy, Selders, Brown, and Antonio Marr were recruited without any scholarship money as freshmen. “Players came here to learn to be better students and players and look for an opportunity to move on to NCAA schools.”
Gibson spent nearly 44 years at Garrett, arriving as a player on the college's first teams. He also held many positions including Athletic Director, Men's and Women's Golf Coach, Women's basketball coach, assistant basketball coach and admissions recruiter. Gibson started and coached the golf program in 1994 and it was a great success in terms of advancing to the National tournament as well as coaching All American Matt Hill. He also resurrected the women's basketball program after a two year hiatus, recruiting local talent such as All Region performers Marcia Deberry Knepp and Michelle Duling, a Kodak All American.
As Athletic Director, he started the successful JV basketball and wrestling programs. Facility improvements were also made to the baseball field, including a new scoreboard, and open space funding was secured to improve the softball field, also under his direction.
"Its a long way from growing up in Crellin to this point in my life. There is no way to thank all the people, the college staff members, the assistant coaches, generous local donors, alumni of the programs, and volunteers of all kinds that have helped not only Garrett Men's basketball be successful, but all our athletic programs as well. For such a small population in a rural setting it is quite amazing and I am thankful.”
WCBC's Paul Mullan was a guest on WCBC's Dave Norman Show this morning and discussed the story:
