The final Division 1 head coaching vacancy has been filled as East Carolina assistant coach Tim Craft is set to become the head coach at Gardner-Webb, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman:
Gardner-Webb is set to replace head coach Chris Holtmann -- who left for Butler -- with ECU assistant Tim Craft, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) July 21, 2013
Chris Holtmann had been at the helm at Gardner-Webb for three seasons, and led the Runnin’ Bulldogs to their first 20-win season this past year since 2001-02. Holtmann left Gardner-Webb to become an assistant coach at Butler for Brandon Miller.
With practices set to begin in just over two months, Craft will have to hit the ground running, but fortunately he will be familiar with Gardner-Webb having been an assistant with them from 2004-07. During that time, he helped guide Gardner-Webb to the 2004-05 Big South regular season championship (Gardner-Webb is now in the Atlantic Sun), and helped assemble a top 50 national recruiting class in 2006 (No. 49 by hoopscooponline.com).
Craft will return to Boiling Springs, NC from East Carolina, where he has been the assistant coach for three seasons (2010-13). Prior to East Carolina, he was the Director of Basketball Operations at Auburn, and eventually worked his way up to assistant coach with the Tigers.
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