MONTICELLO – Allen Sharpe is the new men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Sharpe was introduced at press conferences in Monticello and Little Rock on Tuesday by UAM Athletics Director Chris Ratcliff. Sharpe is the 14^th men’s basketball coach in school history and the son of former UAM Coach Gary Sharpe, who coached the Boll Weevils from 1985-91.

 

“UAM is excited to have Allen Sharpe as the head coach for our men’s basketball team,” said Ratcliff. “He has an extremely strong connection to UAM and has a great vision to where the program needs to be. More importantly, he’s a winner. He knows how to produce winners and does not accept losing.”

 

Sharpe, 33, spent the last five seasons (2005-10) as the head coach at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala., where he guided the program to an overall record of 136-30. In the last four seasons, he led his teams to an average of 30 wins per year (120-15) and took his team to the top of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Top 25 poll.

 

“I would like to thank Dr. (Jack) Lassiter and Chris Ratcliff for giving me this opportunity,” said Sharpe at his Tuesday morning press conference at UAM. “Chris knew exactly what he wanted in a coach and a man, and he held firm to that during the hiring process. I appreciate that… That’s the reason I’m here now.”

 

Sharpe continued, “I can’t promise a certain number of wins or conference championships, but I can promise that there will be a product on the floor that the UAM community can be proud of… Our players will be accountable for everything they do, whether it’s in the classroom, their social life or how the play the game… I can also promise that no coach will work harder than I will and no team will be more prepared or more organized than our teams here at UAM.”

Last season, Sharpe led Wallace State to a record of 32-5, a fifth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament, the school’s first Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) championship, the first NJCAA Region 22 title and a final No. 8 ranking in the NJCAA Top 25 poll. The national tournament appearance was also the first in school history.

 

Sharpe was named 2010 ACCC North Division and District 12 Coach of the Year. Additionally, he earned ACCC North Division Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and 2008, and was named Birmingham Tip-Off Club Coach of the Year in 2008.

 

Sharpe led his 2006-07 squad to a 28-4 record and a No. 5 ranking in the NJCAA Top 25 poll. In 2007-08, he guided his team to the first undefeated regular season in the history of the ACCC and broke the school’s record for wins with a 32-1 mark and final No. 1 ranking. In 2006-07, his team finished the season with a 28-5 record and No. 21 ranking.

 

Prior to Wallace State, Sharpe spent three seasons (2002-05) as the head coach at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga., where he led the program to a three-year record of 70-25. He began his coaching career with a two-year stint (2000-02) as an assistant coach at Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga., a member of the NCAA Division III’s Great South Athletic Conference.

 

Sharpe ranks 19^th on the all-time scorers list at Lipscomb University, where he played for legendary coach Don Meyer. He totaled 1,431 career points from 1996-2000.

 

Allen Sharpe’s father, Gary, was one of the most successful coaches in UAM history. Gary Sharpe guided UAM to the most memorable season in school history, taking the 1985-86 squad to a runner-up finish at the NAIA National Tournament, losing 67-54 in the national title game at Kansas City’s Kemper Arena. That season, Gary Sharpe and the Boll Weevils finished with an overall record of 26-10, setting a still intact record for wins in a season.

UAM’s opponent in the title game was David Lipscomb College, now known as Lipscomb University, where Allen Sharpe played college basketball.

 

Gary Sharpe is tied for third in the UAM coaching records after totaling a six-year record of 103-82.

 

Allen Sharpe earned a bachelor of science degree from Lipscomb University in 2000 and a master of arts degree from Piedmont College in 2002.

Allen and his wife, Susan, have three children – Garrison (6), Ally (3) and Anderson (8 mo.). Susan also played basketball at Lipscomb University.