Armstrong Atlantic names head coach

The Armstrong Atlantic State University athletic department announced the hiring of Fala Bullock as the Pirates’ new head women’s basketball coach. Bullock becomes the eighth head women’s basketball coach in Armstrong history.

Bullock will be introduced to the Savannah community at a welcome reception on Tuesday, July 9th, at 2:00 p.m. in the Armstrong Student Union.

Bullock joins Armstrong from Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, Ga., where she started the program in 2011 and directed the Cougars to an impressive 25-6 record in just their second season of competition in 2012-13, advancing to the GCAA Championships.

No stranger to the Peach Belt Conference, Bullock was the assistant coach as well as the Senior Woman’s Administator (SWA) at Columbus State for two years. The Cougars featured WBCA first-team All-American selection Phoebe Smith and compiled a 32-23 record in her two seasons with the program.

"I am very excited to be a member of the Armstrong athletic program and represent the Pirates as the head women’s basketball coach," Bullock said. "Armstrong athletics has a long-standing reputation of success in the Peach Belt Conference and I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to that success.

"I want to thank President Bleicken, Lisa Sweany and the search committee for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to continue building on the tradition of Pirate women’s basketball. I look forward to getting to know the student athletes and getting to work."

A former two-year standout at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Bullock earned her bachelor’s of science degree in health and human performance from Northeastern State in 2004 as well as her master’s of science degree in kinesiology from Northeastern State in 2006.

She served as a graduate assistant for her alma mater from 2004-06, then spent one season as an assistant coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College before moving on to NCAA Division II Midwestern State as an assistant coach from 2007-09.

The Irvine, California, native began her intercollegiate career at Irvine Valley College, transferring to Northeastern State as a junior and leading the RiverHawks to a Lone Star Conference championship and a first NCAA postseason berth as the team’s captain in 2003.

"After conducting a thorough search it became evident that coach Fala Bullock was the best fit for Pirate Athletics and our women’s basketball program," Armstrong athletic director Lisa Sweany said. "Her background as an NCAA DII student-athlete and assistant coach as well as her recent head coaching experience gives her a unique perspective with which to lead our young ladies. I am excited to have her on board and look forward to her leadership in moving our women’s basketball program forward."

Bullock takes over the Armstrong program from Matt Schmidt, who departed to become an assistant coach at Duquesne University after serving as head coach for the Pirates for five seasons. Armstrong went 13-14 in 2012-13, advancing to the PBC Championships for the first time in four seasons as well as knocking off the highest-ranked opponent in school history with a 69-67 overtime win over No. 5 USC Aiken on February 9th.

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