The Greensboro College community is mourning the loss of Head Women’s Basketball Coach Randy Tuggle, who passed away Thursday following a courageous two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Randy was a longtime friend and colleague, who inspired not only the young women he coached, but everyone in the Greensboro College community,” said Pride Athletic Director Kim Strable.
With 198 victories, Tuggle became the winningest coach in program history. He led the Pride to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2011 and was named USA South and D3Hoops.com Coach of the Year. During his tenure, Tuggle helped mold Greensboro College’s women’s basketball team into a USA South Athletic Conference powerhouse where he helped the Pride to seven USA South Regular Season and five USA South Tournament Championships. In addition to his team’s performance on the court, Tuggle is also credited with coaching and recruiting 17 All-Conference selections, two USA South Rookies and Players of the Year, and two All-Americans.
“Randy Tuggle was one of the most successful coaches in Greensboro College Athletics history, his record and accolades are well documented, well-earned and much respected,” Greensboro College President Dr. Larry Czarda said. “But, Coach Tuggle meant so much more on campus and to his teams and all GC students.”
Indeed, while making his mark on the court, Tuggle also made a huge impact on the entire Greensboro College and USA South community. Following his diagnosis, Tuggle made it a point to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer and openly shared his story and positive outlook with everyone he came in contact with, even calling his battle rewarding in interviews with multiple media outlets.
During the 2019-2020 season, the USA South Athletic Conference launched a “Tuggle Strong” initiative to help share his story. Over the course of the campaign, each USA South Athletic Conference institution and women’s basketball teams designated one home game to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, while also raising thousands of dollars in Tuggle’s honor for cancer research.
Tuggle, a lifelong native of the Triad area, graduated from Northwest Guilford High School before going to play college basketball at UNC-Greensboro where he played in the NCAA Tournament and served as a team captain his senior campaign. He joined the Pride community in 2002 to serve as the assistant women’s basketball coach, alongside his cousin Jason Tuggle, before taking of the head spot in 2009-2010.
Randy is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Lauren Childrey (Ryan), grandchildren Ella and Kennedy, and son Jimmy Duck.
Photo Courtesy Greensboro College Athletics
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