FGCU didn’t need to look far to find its successor to women’s basketball head coach Karl Smesko.
On the same day Smesko departed after 23 seasons to the Atlanta Dream, the school announced longtime assistant Chelsea Lyles as the Eagles’ second head coach in program history.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I announce Chelsea Lyles as the second head coach of the FGCU women’s basketball program,” FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis said in a release. “Chelsea has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to FGCU and the women’s basketball program over the last 16 years. She is prepared to lead the Eagles in the next chapter of our women’s basketball program, and I am excited for our student-athletes to learn from Coach Lyles’ leadership.”
The 36-year-old Lyles has spent the past 17 years at FGCU, the first two as a player for Smesko. In 2010-11, she started her coaching career as a student assistant before moving into a full-fledged assistant role the following season. For the past six years, she has served the Eagles’ associate head coach.
Lyles played for FGCU from 2008-10 prior to the Eagles becoming full Division I members in 2011-12. She started 60 of 62 games with FGCU, averaging 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors both seasons. During her playing career, the Eagles went 50-12, won an ASUN regular season championship and earned back-to-back WNIT bids.
She graduated from FGCU in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
“Chelsea will do an outstanding job,” Smesko stated in a release. “There couldn’t be anybody more ready for this opportunity.”
News-Press sports reporter Dan DeLuca contributed to this report
