New Coach To Hold Open Tryouts On Saturday, June 19

Columbia State Community College has hired John McGraw as the new Lady Chargers Basketball Coach.

"Coach McGraw brings a wealth of knowledge of the game of basketball due to his previous college and high school coaching experience," said Louis Conner, Columbia State athletic director. "He also has experience running large scale basketball tournaments and events, making him a great asset for Columbia State. John is a respected professional who will ultimately help us recruit top-notch student athletes as we build our women's basketball program."

McGraw was named fourth-best assistant women's basketball coach in the country by National Women's Basketball Insider during his time at Marshall University, and has a career head coaching record of 93 Wins and 14 loses (.869 winning percentage) during stops at John Jay College (New York), the Patterson School (North Carolina) and Notre Dame Prep (Massachusetts).

McGraw brings NCAA coaching experience to the Lady Chargers program, having garnered the all-time highest winning percentage (.761) at John Jay College, while leading them to their first post-season playoff berth in school history.

During his stint at the Patterson School, McGraw took home the 2004-05 National Association of Christian Athletes National Championship, and coached the top overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, Angel McCoughtry.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to join Columbia State," said McGraw. "The immediate goal is to build a Lady Chargers program made up of highly motivated, driven young women who will work together to accomplish success both on and off the basketball court."

Open Tryouts Scheduled for Saturday, June 19
McGraw will hold open tryouts for the Lady Chargers basketball team on Saturday, June 19 at 12 p.m. in the Billy Webster Gymnasium on the Columbia Campus.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg, and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.