Peach Belt Conference Hall of Fame Release
Dennis Cox Hall of Fame Bio

AUGUSTA, Ga. – One of the greatest coaches in the 26-year history of Clayton State Athletics, former women's basketball coach Dennis Cox has been elected as one of the first 25 members of the inaugural Peach Belt Conference Hall of Fame as announced by the league on Wednesday, March 16.
 
One of the most successful coaches in the history of the league, Cox not only coached the Lakers from 2004-14, he turned around a flagging program and made it a national power. During his tenure, Clayton State would go to 10 straight NCAA Division II Tournaments, win seven PBC Regular Season Championships, four PBC Tournament Titles and four Southeast Regional Championship Games for as many as trips to the Elite Eight.
 
In 2010-11, the third of those Elite Eight trips, Cox would lead his team to a stellar 35-1 record as the Lakers became the first team from the Southeast Region to win the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship. That came during a stretch in which the team went an incredible 96-6 from 2010-13, a run that saw the second fewest losses of any NCAA team, just behind Division I Baylor's five during that same time.
 
While at Clayton State he posted an outstanding 267-57 (.824) record while being named the 2011 National Coach of the Year, NCAA Division II Southeast Region Coach of the Year three times, Whack Hyder Georgia Women's College Coach of the Year three times and a four-time PBC Coach of the Year.
 
"I am stunned, quite frankly, and so humbled to be mentioned amongst the many great and accomplished individuals in Peach Belt Conference history," said Cox. I will always be appreciative of the support we received at Clayton State from Presidents and upper administration, Athletic Directors and administrative staff, other department coaches, trainers, assistant coaches, program supporters and all of the exceptional student-athletes we had the privilege to coach. I would especially like to thank [former Athletic Director] Mason Barfield for giving me the opportunity to be the head women's basketball coach at Clayton State University. This is indeed an incredible honor."
 
Cox joined the Lakers after 14 years of high successful coaching at the junior college level in the State of Florida. During that time he compiled a combined record of 147-41 at Daytona Beach Community College and Valencia. As a result of that performance, Cox was inducted into the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Hall of Fame in 2015.
 
In the summer of 2014, he departed for a new challenge at Division II San Francisco State, leaving the program in the capable hands of his former player and longtime assistant Kaleena Coleman. Cox is currently in the process of turning around SFSU's program, improving their record 10 times over from his first season.
 
The Peach Belt Conference has established its Hall of Fame in conjunction with the league's 25^th anniversary and has chosen 25 distinguished individuals to represent the first class. This group includes founding fathers, student-athletes and coaches and administrators. He is among nine of the latter category and is the only women's basketball coach in this inaugural class.
 
The 25 members of the inaugural class will be inducted on Tuesday, May 31 at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.

What Others Are Saying About Dennis Cox

Kaleena Coleman
Current Clayton State Head Women's Basketball Coach, Former Assistant and Player
"I'm very proud and excited for Coach Cox. Not many have had the honor to have been coached by and alongside greatness. He is a smart man that has taught me so much about life and basketball and I'm very grateful for him and the PBC Committee for inducting Coach Cox into the Inaugural Hall of Fame Class. Well deserved!"

Mason Barfield
Former Clayton State Athletic Director
"As an AD, when you look at someone that brings everything you want to the table, Dennis comes as close as anyone could. Not only was his ability to coach evident in the production of his team but also how he ran his program. He is a team player from the stand point of the total program, which was a godsend to me as an administrator. Without Dennis' personality, that doesn't happen. He was willing to compromise while being so successful.
 
Of all the coaches that I've worked with, I think that he understands more about what it takes and what you have to do to develop and motivate. He has the three marks of a great coach - great teacher, great motivator and is a great inspirer. Dennis is an inspirational coach who gets people to go beyond what they see as their potential."
 
Kevin Pederson
Lander Head Women's Basketball Coach
"When I came into the Peach Belt Conference, Dennis was just getting started with his run. We ended up being the No. 1 ranked team during 2010-11. We weren't trying to be the best team in the country that year - we were trying to put together a team to beat Dennis' teams, and that was a byproduct.
 
What he accomplished at Clayton State was incredible. You had to have your program ready or you were going to be embarrassed. They were that good. We were always impressed with the way Dennis ran his program."
 
Buffie Burson
North Georgia Head Women's Basketball Coach
"Congratulations to the best of the best in the coaching profession. Dennis is a great recruiter, motivator and coach, however, he is great friend to so many of us! He always produced championship caliber teams in the PBC and did so with class and dignity. I enjoyed competing against him because I knew we were playing not only the best in the PBC, but the best in the nation."
 
Brittany Hall
Former Clayton State Women's Basketball Player and Current Assistant Coach
"It is wonderful to see that Coach Cox is being recognized for his many accomplishments here at Clayton State. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to play under him for four years. This recognition is well deserved. Congratulations Coach!"
 
April Taylor
Current George Mason Associate Athletic Director/Special Assistant to the Director,
Former Clayton State Women's Basketball Player
"This is a well-deserved award for Dennis Cox and the legacy that he built at Clayton State. He is a man that cared about his players on and off the court and I am product of his leadership. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my career than playing for him. We sat down and figured out what I wanted to do as a player and as a person and he made sure I got all of that. I try to bring the values he taught me to my everyday life and to the student-athletes here at George Mason. He was my coach and is my friend and mentor. Coach Cox truly paid it forward."