NSU introduces new men’s basketball coach
“My wife asked me ‘What do you think?’ I said it just smells right”
NATCHITOCHES, La. (KSLA) — This fall, Northwestern State will have a new coach on the court for the first time in 23 seasons.
The Demons made the announcement Wednesday, March 23.
Now NSU basketball is officially under new leadership. Corey Gipson is the 10th head coach in the history of the Demons men’s basketball program.
“Family” is a word Gipson mentioned multiple times Wednesday. And “family” is going to be key in retooling this NSU program.
“When I refer to family, I’m referring to the McConathy family, I’m referring to the community, I’m referring to the team that’s currently intact,” Gipson said. “We are going to need 100% buy-in 100% of the time in order to have success.”
Gipson is a former assistant coach at Missouri State. NSU is his first head coaching opportunity. The former point guard and current father of three let it be known that he’s ready for the challenge.
“When you go through life and you’ve been through positions at a younger age, it makes it much easier for you to transition into the roll you are in now. And we have to be the head of our household. I have to be the priest and the provider for my household, and I plan to be that for this great program.”
After much prayer with his wife and family, Gipson felt it was the right time to move from a state he grew up in to the opportunity here in Louisiana. And once he stepped into Prather Coliseum, Gipson said he knew the Lord had led him right to NSU.
“This is a deeply rooted place, this is a special place,” Gipson said.
“When we walked into the arena last night, it smelled like basketball. It had a smell and stench to it that made sense. My wife asked me ‘What do you think?’ I said it just smells right.”
It does smell like basketball in Prather Coliseum.
And you can’t talk about NSU basketball without mentioning Coach McConathy. Coach Gipson mentioned that he is not going to try to be Mike, but he is going to try to continue the legacy he has on the NSU campus.
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