Dennis Gibson retired as Garrett College’s head men’s basketball coach August 1st after guiding the Lakers to 714 victories and four national tournament appearances during his 36 seasons as head coach.
“Dennis is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NJCAA, not to mention Maryland JuCo and Region XX,” said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president. “We appreciate his commitment to all of the student athletes who came through his program.”
Robert “JR” Kerns, the College’s dean of student affairs, said GC will immediately begin a search for an interim coach to guide the program during the 2021-22 season. Kerns said the College anticipates announcing a permanent replacement next spring.
Gibson, who is a member of both the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Garrett College Athletic Hall of Fame, goes out on top. He led the Lakers to an undefeated regular season, a 17-2 overall record, region and district championships, and a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Division II national tournament this past season.
His 714-397 record – a .643 winning percentage – includes three Region XX titles and a Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference championship.
Gibson played two seasons for the Lakers before transferring to Bridgewater College, where he was named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference second team. He returned to Garrett College as an assistant men’s basketball coach while finishing his undergraduate degree at West Virginia University.
Gibson, promoted to head coach in 1985, led the Lakers to their first region title and national tournament berth in 1994. His program also earned district titles and national tournament berths in 2014, 2015 and 2021 as well as region crowns in 2003 and 2021.
