SEWANEE, Tenn. – Sewanee Director of Athletics John Shackelford announced the promotion of Will Merrell (C'15) to head coach of the men's basketball program this week, effective immediately.
"We are extremely excited about Will Merrell's future as the next head coach of the Sewanee Tigers," said Shackelford. He is a proud and loyal alum, an innovative and bright young coach, and cares deeply about the experience of our student-athletes. Will is not only an exceptional coach but also a devoted educator and mentor. He will inspire and positively impact countless young lives in our basketball program."
Merrell served the last three years as an assistant coach for the Tigers, helping the program to a 49-33 record. Sewanee won the SAA Tournament championship in 2023, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Losing just one player from the previous season, the 2023 club improved from six to 19 wins with the conference tournament title.
"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to coach at a place that means so much to me and to many others," said Merrel. "I am excited to get started and fully committed to leading a program that reflects the pride, tradition, and values of this incredible community."
Four players earned All-SAA honors while Russ Marr was named All-Region. In the classroom, a record 12 student-athletes were recognized on the SAA Academic Honor Roll.
The Tigers got off to a slow start in 2023-24 due to injuries and a roster that included five freshmen and just one senior. Sewanee posted a 5-8 mark before the New Year and started 0-4 in league play before winning seven of its last 10 SAA contests. The club lost to Berry in the semifinals of the conference tournament, finishing the year 12-15 overall, 9-7 in games decided by nine points or less.
Marr, Luka Avaliani, and Tre Corrigan were voted to the All-Conference team.
This past season Sewanee collected an 18-9 overall mark, 9-3 in SAA action, finishing second in the regular season before falling in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Five players earned All-Conference accolades, including Marr and Avaliani on the First Team.
No stranger to Sewanee, Merrell served as the strength and conditioning coach for the men's lacrosse team that won the 2022 SAA Tournament championship and posted its first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
Prior to returning to Sewanee, he worked as an assistant coach at Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) for the 2017-18 season. The Royals posted a 32-4 overall record, setting a single-season school record for wins and advancing to the NCAA Division II Final Four. His responsibilities included scouting, recruiting prospective student-athletes, and all team travel operations.
He served as a coach for the ProSkills Select AAU, Queen's Grant High School, and the Cannon School prior to his start in collegiate coaching.
During his playing career at Sewanee, he was a member of the men's basketball and track and field teams, and he was a member of the Order of the Gown.
Merrell graduated Cum Laude from the University of the South in 2015 with a bachelor's in Political Science with a concentration in International Security and a minor in History.