Legendary Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball head coach Karl Smesko is leaving the university to take a head coaching position in the WNBA.
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Dream announced the hiring of Smesko.
Smesko has led the Eagles since the dawn of their program, 23 years. Since taking the reigns as head coach, Smesko has found every ounce of success with the Green and Blue.
FGCU's women's basketball program having success is no fluke. The 54-year-old Smesko built the Eagle's program into a dominant NCAA Tournament team and over the course of his career, he has generated the third highest winning percentage (.831) in women's college basketball.
Since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007, FGCU has finished in first or second place every year. The Eagles became a full Division I program in 2011 when they went on to compile a perfect conference record of 18-0, punching their ticket to the first round of the big dance.
Under Smesko's leadership, FGCU has made the Division I NCAA Tournament nine times, in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In four of those appearances, Smesko and the Eagles made it to the second round of the tournament.
Overall, the legendary coach has built quite the resume with an all-time record of 672-137, marking him the eighth overall in total wins and third overall in win percentage among all active DI head coaches.
Under his leadership, FGCU has knocked down 300 or more made threes in 15 consecutive seasons, leading the country in made threes in five of the last seven seasons. In 2018, the Eagles knocked down 431 shots from deep in 2018, setting the NCAA record for most made threes in a single season.
Smesko has also produced a level of sustained success as he has guided the Eagles to 14 consecutive 25-win seasons. The only other program to accomplish that feat, UConn.
FGCU finished in the top 25 in five of the last seven seasons. In 2023, the Eagles finished No. 24 overall after capturing its 13th ASUN regular season title, ninth ASUN Tournament championship and an NCAA First Round battle over fifth-seeded Washington State.
The Batavia, Ohio, native began his career at Walsh University is now headed to the big leagues to join the Atlanta Dream later this month.
The Atlanta Dream went 15-25 this season behind the young core of Rhyne Howard and Alisha Gray . Smesko will now take over the franchise who hasn't posted a winning record since the 2018 season.
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