Savannah State Update:
SSU Athletics has announced the hiring of former Lady Tiger head coach, alumnus, and Savannah native Phillip Wallace, Jr. as the new head coach of the SSU Women’s Basketball Program. Wallace’s official start date will be on Friday, August 1st.
Wallace brings a wealth of experience as a basketball coach and administrator, compiling over three decades of experience on the sidelines, and recording over 400 victories in four stops over his career. From 2004-22 at Miles College, Wallace accumulated 210 victories, which made him the winningest head coach in program history. In 2020, Wallace earned the SIAC Coach of the Year award.
“I am pleased to welcome Phillip Wallace, Jr. back home to Savannah and SSU,” remarked Director of Athletics, Opio Mashariki. “His work in leading his teams to success in the classroom, on the floor, and in the community has been impressive and we are excited to see him take our women’s basketball program to higher heights this season and in the seasons to come.”
As well as Wallace’s teams played on the court, including having two players named SIAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, his teams were also strong academically. The Lady Bears were three-time winners of the top team academic award in the SIAC. During the 2020-21 season, Miles was No. 24 in the nation in overall grade point average as tabulated by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and included the school’s valedictorian.
“Coach Wallace represents the very best of what it means to be a Tiger,” said SSU President Dr. Jermaine Whirl. “His passion for this university, combined with his proven record of success and commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court, makes him the perfect leader for our women’s basketball program. We are thrilled to welcome him back home.”
Wallace said, “I want to thank AD Mashariki and Dr. Whirl for this incredible opportunity to return home and trusting me with the responsibility to build a championship program. Our goal is to continue the success that this program has had over the last two decades under the previous coaching staff and build upon it to bring home championships.”
Prior to his time at Miles, Wallace spent three seasons at Morris Brown College, where he had a 49-33 overall mark from 1996-99.
In addition to his career as a head coach, Wallace also has had an accomplished career as an administrator, coming to SSU after spending time as the Director of Athletics at Allen University. He also served as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations at Morehouse College, and Director of Athletics at Miles College.
“I’m excited and honored to return to my hometown and my alma mater, the place that gave me a start in coaching,” remarked Wallace.
A proud native of Savannah, Wallace received his bachelor of science degree from SSU in 1989 and his master’s in public administration also from SSU in 1993.
He is also a member of the Black Coaches Association (BCA), Women Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and has served on the WBCA Top-25 National Ranking Committee. He and his wife, Sharon, are the proud parents of one daughter, Sha’ron, and two sons, Phillip III and Kendall.
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