Hall of Fame
Gary Elliott, a Savannah, Ga., native, was a member of the UNA Athletic Department for 25 years and at various times he served as head coach for the Lions women's basketball, baseball, golf and men's basketball teams. In his fifteen seasons as head men's basketball coach he took the Lion program to one NCAA Division II National Championship (1991), four NCAA Tournament appearances, two Gulf South Conference titles and an average of 18 wins per season. He finished his career as the winningest men's basketball coach in school history with 270 wins.
The Lions won 20 or more games five times under Elliott, and advanced to the NCAA championships in 1991, 1994,1995 and 1996. He was named the 1991 National Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and he also became the first coach in the history of the GSC to win 100 games in his first five seasons at a league school. He spent his first four years at North Alabama building the women's basketball program and led UNA to a 75-42 overall record that included two AAIAW Northern Division championships and an Alabama State championship in 1979. Elliott then became the UNA men's basketball assistant coach from 1983-88 and helped take the team to a 109-67 record that included a GSC championship, two GSC Tournament titles and two NCAA appearances. He also served as UNA's head baseball coach in 1979 and was head men's golf coach from 1980-88.
His 32 years in basketball coaching includes a 425-257 record as a head coach. He finished with a 270-150 record as UNA men's coach before his retirement following the 2002-03 season.
His coaching career at UNA included:
Head Women’s Basketball Coach (1979-82),
Head Baseball Coach (1979),
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach (1983-88),
Head Golf Coach (1980-88),
Head Men’s Basketball Coach (1989-2003)
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