Bradley Pierson has resigned as the Sewanee men’s basketball coach after the best first season in program history. Pierson, a former Sewanee player who went 15-12 after moving up to head coach after Bubba Smith left for Lee University, has returned to his high school alma mater as head coach. That’s the Darlington School in Rome, Ga., where he graduated in 2005. “Coach Pierson has left an indelible impression on the Sewanee men’s basketball program as a player, as an assistant coach and finally as our head coach,” athletic director Mark Webb said in a release Thursday. “His contributions are many, and he will certainly be missed by our players and athletic staff.” Said Pierson: “As a Sewanee alum, I am forever tied to this university and am grateful for all it has provided for me and my family. The Mountain will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Tennis
– Covenant College’s John Hirte was honored Thursday as the USA South men’s tennis coach of the year, for the second time, and the Scots’ Matthew Harvie was an all-conference first-team selection for the third time while fellow junior Chris Cox joined him as a first-team All-West pick. Lady Scots junior Aly Hall was a first-team All-USA player and junior Annie DeLuca and senior Claire Luger were All-West second-teamers. Freshmen Ben Tonkel and Esther Eddy were Covenant’s representatives on the all-sportsmanship team. Hirte’s Scots are 12-9 overall and 7-1 against USAS competition going into their league tournament semifinal this morning against Averett at LaGrange. Harvie is regionally ranked and 12-4 at No. 1 singles. Cox has 13 singles wins and is 6-1 in the USAS, where he and Harvie are 7-0 at No. 1 doubles. Hall is first-team all-conference for the second time and is 9-4 at No. 1 singles, 4-1 in the league. Luger is 7-0 and DeLuca 6-1 in USAS singles. The Lady Scots (13-7) won their way into the tournament semifinals with an 8-1 win Thursday against Averett.
– Sewanee’s Jack Gray from Chattanooga and Baylor School was the Southern Athletic Association men’s tennis player of the week after going 2-0 both in singles and doubles last weekend in team wins over Birmingham-Southern and Millsaps. He is 11-1 in singles and 8-0 with Alejandro Becker at No. 1 doubles.
Softball