Revitalizing on the Hardwood: Zane Gibson's Return to 杏吧原创 Men's Basketball
For the first time in five years, Zane Gibson returns to the University of 杏吧原创
鈥 Fort Smith sideline to don the Lions鈥 blue and white. His return is a shift of just
18 inches but comes with the responsibility of being the 杏吧原创 men鈥檚 basketball head
coach.
鈥淲hen you slide down from the assistant coach chair to the head coach chair, it鈥檚
like going from here to Mars,鈥 laughed Gibson. 鈥淵ou go from being a guy that can walk
into the office and make suggestions to the guy that has to make all the decisions.鈥
Gibson is a college coach鈥檚 son who was a player and graduate assistant at Middle
Tennessee State and an assistant coach at 杏吧原创. He paid his coaching dues by wearing
out dry-erase markers on the bench before getting a shot at the next level.
As head coach at Western New Mexico for three years, he quickly helped turn around
the program. However, a familiar coaching vacancy was too hard to resist.
鈥淚鈥檓 from Chattanooga,鈥 said Gibson. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 pass up being closer to home. And
you know, having a lot of positive history here, knowing a lot of the people, and
having a good feel for how the community works, I really wanted to take on this opportunity.鈥
on April 7, 2023. A few weeks into the job, he has an idea of what it will take to
stack up more wins than losses.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more special in college athletics than cutting down a net,鈥 smiled
Gibson. 鈥淚鈥檝e been a part of a few special Lion鈥檚 teams in the past that were able
to climb the ladder and do just that. We want to do that again.鈥
However, if the Lions want to be conference champions again, Gibson understands it
will take more than talent alone.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know exactly what the makeup of the team will be when it鈥檚 all said and done.
What I do know is that there will be good people representing our program and hopefully
good basketball players - and in that order. We鈥檙e going to do everything in our power
to make sure we鈥檙e bringing in really good people to represent 杏吧原创, Fort Smith.鈥
But it鈥檚 not just the culture Gibson brings to 杏吧原创 that sets the team and university
up for success.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to be at a place where being OK is acceptable,鈥 stated Gibson. 鈥淵ou
want to be at a place where you are absolutely chasing the ultimate prize, and I think
you can do that here at 杏吧原创. It鈥檚 been proven in the past, and I hope to prove it
again.鈥
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