The University of Tennessee Southern has announced the hiring of Greg Tipps as the new head coach of the Firehawks women’s basketball program. Tipps becomes the 11th head mentor in the program’s four-year era and brings decades of championship experience and success from the Tennessee high school ranks to Pulaski.
Tipps arrives at UT Southern after spending the last nine seasons at Loretto High School, where he helped continue one of the state’s premier basketball traditions. Across his career, Tipps has served as head coach at Coffee County, Moore County, Loretto, Stone Memorial, and Dickson County, building a reputation as one of Tennessee’s most respected and accomplished basketball coaches.
“Coach Tipps has been successful at every stop of his career, and we are excited to welcome him to the Firehawk family,” said UT Southern Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Brandie Paul. “His ability to build winning programs, develop student-athletes, and lead with integrity makes him a tremendous fit for our university and women’s basketball program.”
Tipps inherits a UT Southern program coming off a historic season that saw the Firehawks finish ranked No. 24 in the final NAIA Women’s Basketball Top 25 Poll. The Firehawks also captured the program’s first-ever NAIA National Championship game victory, continuing the upward trajectory of the young program.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to become the next head women’s basketball coach at UT Southern,” said Tipps. “This program has already established itself as one of the rising programs in the NAIA, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to build on that success. I want to thank Brandie Paul and the administration for believing in me and my vision for this program. My family and I are excited to join the Firehawk community and get to work.”
Throughout his coaching career, Tipps has consistently guided teams to postseason success. He led the Loretto girls program to three state tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances. During his time leading the Loretto Mustangs boys program, he guided the team to four state tournament appearances, three Final Fours, and two state championships.
At Dickson County, Tipps led the girls program to two state tournament appearances and one Final Four berth, further cementing his reputation for building championship-caliber programs.
In total, Tipps owns 493 career victories, 12 sectional championships, nine state tournament appearances, six Final Four appearances, and two state championships. Over the last 11 seasons, his teams have posted a 76 percent winning percentage while averaging more than 20 wins per season.
Tipps has also coached and mentored numerous standout athletes throughout his career. Among them were Amber Benjamin at Coffee County, who went on to earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors and sign with Auburn, and McDonald’s All-American Lea Lea Carter, who continued her career at Vanderbilt.
In addition to basketball standouts, Tipps has coached elite multi-sport athletes, including Ryan Weathers, now a Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees, and Blade Tidwell, a professional pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization.
A Tennessee native with deep family roots, Tipps is the son of Mike and Virginia Tipps. He and his wife, Paige, have four children: Brendon, Baylor, Maddyn, and Archie. Paige’s father, Mike Rhodes, played basketball at Vanderbilt.
Tagged with: NAIA
