LaCheryl Smith
Camp Coordinator/Assistant Coach

LaCheryl Smith joins the Paladin staff following three seasons as head coach at nearby Southern Wesleyan University, where she also served as director of the Warrior Club, the school's athletic fund-raising organization.

Prior to her work at Southern Wesleyan, Smith served one season as an assistant coach at Greenville's Southside High School (2006-07). That followed a five-year tenure at Simpsonville's Hillcrest High School (2001-06), where she compiled an 88-45 record and led the Lady Rams to five consecutive state playoff appearances and a pair of prestigious Lady Sandlapper Tournament championships in 2003 & '06. In 2005 she was selected to serve as coach of the state's North/South All-Star Game. In addition she coached 13 players who would go on to earn college athletic scholarships.

Smith's other coaching and administrative experience includes a 10-year tenure as a camp counselor at the University of North Carolina women's basketball camp; coordinator of Greenville's Potential Sports Academy (2003-07); and a 13-year run as director of South Carolina's Lady Flames AAU Program.
 
She earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education/early childhood development in 1996 and is nearing completion of a master's degree in education, also from Southern Wesleyan. 

Julia Huddleston
Assistant Coach

Jackie Smith Carson's first move as head coach was the hiring of assistant coach Julia Huddleston in early May, 2010.

Huddleston joined the Paladin staff following seven seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as an assistant coach, coordinated recruiting, and directed guard development, individual workouts, and student-athlete conditioning.

During her tenure at VCU, Huddleston played a key role in the Rams' ascent within the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In her first season in Richmond, VCU posted a 14-14 mark and four years later registered a program record 26 wins (26-8) en route to the school's first-ever postseason appearance and second round finish in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The following year (2008-09) the Rams racked up a 26-7 campaign, including a 15-3 CAA slate, and made the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance via an at-large bid.
 
A 2002 graduate of Eckerd (Fla.) College with a degree in human development, Huddleston served as captain of the Tritons' women's basketball team for three seasons and was the recipient of Eckerd's National Student Athlete Day Award as a junior and Jim Harley Heart of Eckerd Athletics Award her senior year. The Atlanta, Ga., native also holds a M.S. in sports administration from Austin Peay.

Garry Horton
Assistant Coach

Garry Horton comes to Furman following one season as boys assistant head coach at Hughes Center High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In addition to his stint as at Hughes Center, over the last two years he served as boys varsity head coach and director of operations for the Quinn Anvils basketball squad of the Derek Smith AAU All-Stars in Louisville, and in 2008-09 was the varsity boys basketball coach at Louisville's S.V. Noe Middle School.

Horton played collegiately at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky., from 2003-06. As a senior he served as team captain and captured team leadership and defensive player of the year honors. In addition, he ran cross country, served as African-American Student Association President, and was the recipient of a number of school accolades, including Club President, Resident Life, Outstanding Contributor to Student Life, and Serving Learning Program Awards. In 2008 he was honored by Thomas More with its Alumni of the Year Award.

Over the last eight years he has worked a variety of outstanding camps as a counselor, instructor, and head coach, including Nike Boys Basketball Camp (Bloomington, Ind.); Black Coaches & Administrators Day Camps (Atlanta, Ga. & Indianapolis, Ind.); Winning Ways Pro International Combine (San Antonio, Texas); Five Star Basketball All-American Camps (Louisville, Ky. & Pittsburgh, Pa.); and Allen Houston's "Fathers Know Best" Day Camp (Louisville, Ky.).

Jermaine Brown
Director of Basketball Operations

Bio. Coming Soon!