Gamecock women’s basketball assistant selected to lead GCU

GCU PRESS RELEASE:

Grand Canyon hired one of the most sought-after coaches in the country, a nationally renowned recruiter, an elite talent developer and a reigning national champion to be the next leader of its women’s basketball program.

Winston Gandy, an assistant coach for 2024 national champion South Carolina, will take over the Lopes program.

Gandy’s college stops have come in the strongest women’s basketball conferences in the country: SEC (two seasons on head coach Dawn Staley’s staff at South Carolina), ACC (Duke associate head coach), American (Rice associate head coach) and Big Ten (Maryland director of recruiting). He also spent three seasons in the NBA in player development with the Washington Wizards.

“Our goal is to have a top-25 women’s basketball program in the country, and we identified someone who has recruited, coached and developed elite players at the very highest levels in college basketball and in the NBA,” GCU President Brian Mueller said. “He is a highly sought-after star in the world of women’s college basketball. He has turned down numerous other opportunities, and he chose GCU.”

Gandy is in his second season on South Carolina’s staff. The Gamecocks won the 2023-24 national championship and are amid a postseason run — advancing to the Sweet 16 on Sunday — in hopes of repeating in 2024-25.

“I’m beyond honored and absolutely thrilled to be the head coach at Grand Canyon University,” Gandy said. “Grand Canyon is a truly special place, and we will continue to show the world exactly what we’re about. Thank you to President Brian Mueller and Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs for this opportunity. GCU has a strong culture of excellence, and I’m ready to elevate the women’s basketball program even further. Let’s work!”

On the road to a 38-0 season and the 2024 national championship, Gandy was given high praise by Staley, a women’s basketball icon, after he led the championship game preparation efforts for Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark.

“I’m going to give a lot of credit to Winston Gandy,” Staley said on ESPN’s postgame coverage. “He had the Iowa scout. Trust me, he was the difference maker … He explained it in a way that our kids could lock in and execute. They weren’t going to be denied.”

Known for his skills in player development, Gandy worked extensively with South Carolina’s guards, who helped the Gamecocks rank third nationally with 39.5% 3-point shooting.

South Carolina recruited Gandy from Duke, where he spent three seasons on the Blue Devils staff as the associate head coach. Duke steadily improved during Gandy’s tenure in Durham, culminating in the program’s return to the NCAA tournament in 2023 and a 26-7 record with a 14-4 mark in ACC play. Staley labeled Gandy ‘a highly sought-after young talent in our game’ at the time of his hire.

“As we prepare to move into a very competitive basketball conference, we prioritized identifying a coach who has recruited, coached and developed players at the highest level,” Boggs said. “Winston has a long history of proven success, multi-year championships and experience advancing deep into the NCAA tournament. What makes him stand out above all others is that he has incredible vision. He has been to our campus, he understands the support we are surrounded with, and he has the vision to see the national success we are capable of. As one of the largest private Division I universities in the country, we have the resources to attract the most elite coaches. We chose Winston.”

Gandy began his coaching career as the director of recruiting operations for the Terrapins in 2013-14. The team posted a 28-7 record and earned its way to the Final Four.

Gandy stayed in the region to move into a player development role for the Washington Wizards. Spanning three years, Gandy worked with NBA All-Star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal.

He returned to the college ranks for the 2017-18 season where he started a three-year stint at Rice. The Owls won Conference USA regular-season championships in 2019 and 2020 and the conference tournament in 2019. His first game as an assistant coach came against the Lopes at Global Credit Union Arena on Nov. 10, 2017.

After being introduced at GCU in a 9:30 a.m. press conference on Monday, Gandy will return to Columbia to continue preparations for the Gamecocks’ Sweet 16 matchup against Monday night’s Alabama-Maryland winner.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“I’m thrilled for Winston Gandy on being named the head coach at Grand Canyon University. Over the past two seasons with our program at South Carolina, I’ve seen firsthand his incredible work ethic, recruiting talent and passion for the game. Winston is one of the hardest workers and best recruiters in our sport, and he’s a true student of the game. More importantly, he genuinely cares about our players and builds real relationships on and off the court. He’ll always be part of our Gamecock family, and I know he’s ready for this opportunity. I have no doubt he’ll do a fantastic job at GCU, and I can’t wait to watch him thrive as a head coach.”

DAWN STALEY, South Carolina women’s basketball head coach

“What a tremendous hire for Grand Canyon University with Winston Gandy. I can personally tell you, all of the time I’ve spent with Winston, he was so impactful every single day on our staff all the way from a scout guy to support staff in our program. Every stop that Winston has been on, all he has done is win. He’s hardworking, he’s charismatic, he’s a winner. He’s going to connect with each and every one of you every single day. I can’t think of a more perfect hire, and I’m excited for the future for Grand Canyon women’s basketball.”

BRENDA FRESE, Maryland women’s basketball head coach

“Congratulations, Coach Winston. I’m so fired up for you. Grand Canyon University, you guys got yourself a big-time winner. A man of integrity, he’s going to lead your program to new heights. The way he’s going to be able to empower your student-athletes on and off the floor. Congratulations once again. I was very fortunate to have Coach Winston on my staff with the Washington Wizards. What a bright basketball mind. Just knows the game, knows people. He’s about all the right things. Congratulations on a great hire.”

SCOTT BROOKS, Los Angeles Lakers assistant and former Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards head coach

“Grand Canyon University has made an outstanding hire in Winston Gandy. Winston is a person of high character, driven by purpose and integrity, and deeply committed to building lasting relationships with the young women he coaches. He is highly skilled in strategy and player development, having worked with top coaches, WNBA and NBA talent, and championship programs. Winston will make a profound and immediate impact at Grand Canyon, throughout the Phoenix community and in the lives of the student-athletes in his care. I wish him and Gabrielle all the best in this exciting new chapter.”

TINA LANGLEY, Washington women’s basketball head coach

“I was delighted to hear that Winston would be the next head coach at Grand Canyon University. He has worked tirelessly in preparation for this moment. We shared time when he was in his NBA tenure, but he also spent a number of years building his resume under some of women’s basketball’s best coaches … As impressive as Winston’s resume is, Winston’s an even more impressive young man. He’s built of the right stuff. I think he will have a very, very positive impact on the Grand Canyon University community. I wish both the university and Winston the very best of luck in the future.”

ED TAPSCOTT, former Washington Wizards front office executive