With head coach Jimmy Garrity already in the fold, the former UNC Wilmington associate coach announced on Monday the hiring of former UNCW Director of Basketball Operations Mike Merrill as his assistant coach, effective immediately.
Merrill, who spent five seasons with the Seahawks, was the Director of Basketball Operations at the time Garrity was in his second season as assistant coach of the women’s basketball team. Before being hired in 2007, Merrill was a student manager and staff assistant for UNCW.
“I am extremely excited to have Coach Merrill join our basketball family. He brings a great deal of experience and basketball knowledge to Anderson,” Garrity said. “His personality, work ethic and character are a great fit for AU and our program and I look forward to the positive impact he will have on our student-athletes, not only as basketball players but as young adults.”
Away from the court, Merrill founded UNCW’s mentoring program at Holly Tree Elementary in Wilmington, N.C. and was a counselor at Ann Hancock’s women’s basketball camp, held on the campus of UNCW.
Merrill was also a main contributor to the “Seahawks Tomorrow” program where he worked with the school’s athletic marketing department to reach out to middle school students and provide tours of UNCW’s campus to inspire them to attend college in the future.
“I am honored to join the AU family as the assistant women’s basketball coach and I would like to thank Coach Garrity and Athletic Director Nancy Simpson for the opportunity to join the Trojan Athletic Department,” Merrill said. “Coach Garrity’s program is based on integrity and hard work while focusing on the development of student-athletes on and off the court and I share those same values. Coach Garrity’s leadership, in addition to the vision Nancy Simpson has for AU, made this an excellent opportunity and I am extremely excited to contribute to the success of Anderson Women’s Basketball.”
Merrill received his Bachelor of Arts in physical education from UNC Wilmington in 2007.
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