Takayo Siddle enters histhird season as an assistant coach with the Gardner-Webb men'sbasketball program.
Siddlejoined the staff in 2010 after spending one season as an assistantcoach with the postgraduate team at Hargrave Military Academy inChatam, Va. – historically one of the most successful prepschool programs in the nation.
“Takayois a great addition to our coaching staff,” said GWU headcoach Chris Holtmann. “He is familiar with the university,the area and knows the state of North Carolina very well. Hisfamiliarity in those areas will be of great importance to us inrecruiting right away. He is also a solid young man who is eager toget his start in college coaching, and his enthusiasm for the gameand for his alma mater will rub off on ourplayers.”
Servingunder Hargrave head coach and current University of Louisvilleassistat coach Kevin Keatts last season, Siddle helped the Tigersto another extremely successful campaign that saw 12 players signNCAA Division I scholarships – including five who will playin either the ACC, SEC, Big East or Big Ten next season asfreshmen.
Siddleis no stranger to Boiling Springs, N.C., having played four seasonswith the Runnin’ Bulldogs before graduating in 2009. As afreshman, Siddle was a key part of teams that upset Minnesota andEast Carolina on the road and that took defending national championNorth Carolina to the final buzzer.
As ajunior, Siddle helped Gardner-Webb upset No. 20 Kentucky in RuppArena and advance to the final four of the 2007 2K Sports CollegeHoops Classic in Madison Square Garden. Siddle played in 32 gamesthat season, averaging 5.5 points for a team that won 16games.
TheEden, N.C., native started all 30 games for the Runnin’Bulldogs as a sophomore, averaging a career-best 8.6 points pergame and dishing off 104 assists. He played in 21 games as afreshman, and finished his career with 114 games played in fourseasons.
Siddle’sbrightest moment in Boiling Springs came in a 95-90, doubleovertime win vs. Liberty in Paul Porter Arena – when hescored 12 of his career-high 18 points in the two overtime periodsto key the victory. Siddle hit a three with 10.0 seconds remainingin regulation to send the game into overtime, then scored a fourpoints in a five-second flurry at the end of the first overtime toforce a final five minutes of play. Two of those game-saving pointscame on a 17-foot leaner after a stolen inbounds pass with just onesecond on the clock.
Siddleplayed one postgraduate season at Hargrave Military Academy underCoach Keatts before beginning his playing career at Gardner-Webband was part of a very successful N.C. Gaters AAU program duringhis prep career.
Hestarred at Eden Morehead (N.C.) High under Coach John Harder,averaging 27 points, six assists and two steals per game as asenior to earn All-State honors from iHigh.com
