Men's Basketball Program Adds Anthony Winchester to Coaching Staff
8/17/2021 3:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss men's basketball head coach Jay Ladner announced on Wednesday that former Golden Eagle video coordinator and WKU standout Anthony Winchester will rejoin the Southern Miss coaching staff as an assistant coach.
"We are very excited to add Anthony to our staff," Ladner said. "He possesses an incredible work ethic and has all the traits and characteristics we look for in an assistant coach at Southern Miss. We are very excited to get started."
After joining Ladner's inaugural staff as the video coordinator for the 2019-20 season at Southern Miss, Winchester spent the 2020-21 season at Pacific. He helped guide the Tigers to a 9-9 mark, including wins over WCC rivals San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
Winchester spent the 2018-19 season at Loyola Marymount, helping the squad to a 22-12 record that included a win over Georgetown in Jamaica. He previously had a successful playing career in Spain and Puerto Rico, and a coaching stop at his alma mater, WKU, where he served as a Graduate Intern and Director of Basketball Operations.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled to accept this position as an assistant coach at a prestigious institution such as the University of Southern Mississippi," Winchester said. "I've witnessed the pride coach Ladner and our staff exemplify coming to work at Southern Miss as alums of USM and I take great pride in representing not only them, but the Hattiesburg community in the right manner. Being thankful for this opportunity would be an understatement.
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"I am excited for what coach Ladner and the staff are building here at Southern Miss and couldn't be happier to be a part of the process.
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His responsibilities with the Hilltoppers from 2008-2010 included Video Coordinator, assisting with scouting of opponents, assisting with player development and mentoring of student athletes, overseeing and coordinating all recruiting official visits, and assisting in all aspects of day to day operations. The 2008-09 team won the Sun Belt regular season and the conference tournament, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Illinois to open March Madness. His time working at WKU came while recovering from a back injury, between his time playing professionally overseas.
In 2007-2008, Winchester played in Spain for Melilla Baloncesto in the LEB Gold Division, and averaged a team high 12.8 ppg and was twice named Player of the Month. In 2012-2013, he played in Spain for CB Breogan Lugo in the LEB Gold Division and averaged a team high 15.3 ppg leading to being named Guard of the Year. He averaged 10.2 points per game in Spain for Gipuzkoa Basket in the ACB (Spanish 1st Division) in 2014-15, which is considered one of the best leagues in Europe. Winchester finished his professional career playing in Spain's 1st Division, ACB, known as the second-best league in the world.
Winchester put together a decorated career as an undergrad with the Hilltoppers, beginning with his 2003 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Award and concluding with the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors as a senior. His 1,732 career points rank eighth in WKU history, and his 247 career three-pointers are second in program history, leading Winchester to a selection to Western Kentucky's Men's Basketball Centennial Team (1906-2006). Winchester played in three postseasons with the Hilltoppers: The 2003 NCAA Tournament with his Sun Belt regular season and tournament championship team, the 2005 NIT where they advanced to the second round, and the 2006 NIT after winning another Sun Belt regular season title and reaching the conference title game before losing to eventual champion South Carolina. He was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2019.
The Austin, Indiana native graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from WKU in 2006.
A standout prep star, Winchester was the 2002 Indiana Mr. Basketball Runner-Up after finishing his career with 2,256 points, which ranks 11th all-time in Indiana history. His 34.7 points per game and 13.5 points per game as a senior led Austin High School (Austin, Indiana) to the 2002 2A Final Four and Mid-Southern Conference Champions.
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"We are very excited to add Anthony to our staff," Ladner said. "He possesses an incredible work ethic and has all the traits and characteristics we look for in an assistant coach at Southern Miss. We are very excited to get started."
After joining Ladner's inaugural staff as the video coordinator for the 2019-20 season at Southern Miss, Winchester spent the 2020-21 season at Pacific. He helped guide the Tigers to a 9-9 mark, including wins over WCC rivals San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
Winchester spent the 2018-19 season at Loyola Marymount, helping the squad to a 22-12 record that included a win over Georgetown in Jamaica. He previously had a successful playing career in Spain and Puerto Rico, and a coaching stop at his alma mater, WKU, where he served as a Graduate Intern and Director of Basketball Operations.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled to accept this position as an assistant coach at a prestigious institution such as the University of Southern Mississippi," Winchester said. "I've witnessed the pride coach Ladner and our staff exemplify coming to work at Southern Miss as alums of USM and I take great pride in representing not only them, but the Hattiesburg community in the right manner. Being thankful for this opportunity would be an understatement.
Â
"I am excited for what coach Ladner and the staff are building here at Southern Miss and couldn't be happier to be a part of the process.
Â
His responsibilities with the Hilltoppers from 2008-2010 included Video Coordinator, assisting with scouting of opponents, assisting with player development and mentoring of student athletes, overseeing and coordinating all recruiting official visits, and assisting in all aspects of day to day operations. The 2008-09 team won the Sun Belt regular season and the conference tournament, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Illinois to open March Madness. His time working at WKU came while recovering from a back injury, between his time playing professionally overseas.
In 2007-2008, Winchester played in Spain for Melilla Baloncesto in the LEB Gold Division, and averaged a team high 12.8 ppg and was twice named Player of the Month. In 2012-2013, he played in Spain for CB Breogan Lugo in the LEB Gold Division and averaged a team high 15.3 ppg leading to being named Guard of the Year. He averaged 10.2 points per game in Spain for Gipuzkoa Basket in the ACB (Spanish 1st Division) in 2014-15, which is considered one of the best leagues in Europe. Winchester finished his professional career playing in Spain's 1st Division, ACB, known as the second-best league in the world.
Winchester put together a decorated career as an undergrad with the Hilltoppers, beginning with his 2003 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Award and concluding with the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors as a senior. His 1,732 career points rank eighth in WKU history, and his 247 career three-pointers are second in program history, leading Winchester to a selection to Western Kentucky's Men's Basketball Centennial Team (1906-2006). Winchester played in three postseasons with the Hilltoppers: The 2003 NCAA Tournament with his Sun Belt regular season and tournament championship team, the 2005 NIT where they advanced to the second round, and the 2006 NIT after winning another Sun Belt regular season title and reaching the conference title game before losing to eventual champion South Carolina. He was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2019.
The Austin, Indiana native graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from WKU in 2006.
A standout prep star, Winchester was the 2002 Indiana Mr. Basketball Runner-Up after finishing his career with 2,256 points, which ranks 11th all-time in Indiana history. His 34.7 points per game and 13.5 points per game as a senior led Austin High School (Austin, Indiana) to the 2002 2A Final Four and Mid-Southern Conference Champions.
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