Garner Small is entering his fourth season as part of the Gardner-Webb women’s basketball coaching staff in 2021-22. Prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, Garner was elevated to Associate Head Coach.
“I am overjoyed to promote Garner to Associate Head Coach,” said Simmons. “He continues to invest in our program through his time, energy, and commitment. He is a family man of faith and I am blessed that he and his family are a part of our program.”
During the 2020-21 season, Small helped guide the Red and Black to overall record of 11-13 and 10-7 in the Big South.
In 2019-20, Gardner-Webb finished 18-11 overall and 13-7 in Big South Conference play, finishing the season strong, winning four straight and seven of the last eight contests before the season was halted prior to the start of the Big South Women’s Basketball tournament. Under his guidance, Carley Plentovich earned Big South All-Conference Second-Team honors, averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game.
In his first season as an assistant to head coach Alex Simmons, Small was primarily responsible for the development of the guards and helped Carley Plentovich and Jhessyka Williams land spots on the All-Big South teams. Plentovich, a two-time Big South Player of the Week honoree in 2018-19, was a First-Team selection, while Williams made the All-Freshman squad. Plentovich also received Second-Team All-State honors from the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association.
Small joined the Runnin’ Bulldogs after spending the 2017-18 season as the video coordinator at Ole Miss, where he worked with GWU head coach Alex Simmons.
Prior to his season in Oxford, Small served one season as an assistant coach at Claredon College in Texas and also spent time as a graduate assistant and video coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Martin and also at his alma mater, Olivet College.
Small graduated from Olivet College, averaging 15.7 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game in his senior campaign. He began his collegiate career at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where he earned MCCAA third-team and academic all-conference honors. He also spent one year at Goshen College.
In high school, Small was a four-sport athlete at Schoolcraft High School in Schoolcraft, Michigan where he was coached in basketball by his father.
His wife, Bailey, is the Director of Operations for the team. The couple has two sons, Landon and Kash, and reside in Boiling Springs.
