Coach Randy Peele shares his journey from growing up in Virginia to becoming a college coach for nearly 40 years!
\nAfter graduating from Virginia Wesleyan he accepted his first coaching job at St. Michael's College (VT) before moving on to Tennessee Martin under Tom Hancock. From Tennessee Martin he took a pay cut to get his first taste of coaching NCAA DI basketball at Campbell. Coach Peele ended up leaving for conference foe UNCG where he would eventually be promoted to Head Coach.
\nHe took UNCG to the NCAA Tournament after winning the conference tournament in his first season as Head Coach. Virginia Tech added him to their coaching staff but after three years there was a coaching change, he was out of coaching for a year before Gregg Marshall hired him at Winthrop in 2003. He succeeded Gregg Marshall after he took the Wichita State job and in his 1st season at Head Coach his team beat Georgia Tech, a ranked Miami team and won the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championship. Coach Peele is still the only coach in the history of the Big South Conference to lead two different schools to the NCAA Tournament!
\nWinthrop decided to fire him despite a very good tenure at the helm, Mark Byington then hired him at Georgia Southern 2013-14, and his former co-worker Dana Ford hired him as the Associate HC at Tennessee State. After a four year stint at TSU he moved onto coach at Texas Southern under Johnny Jones. Coach Peele is a true basketball lifer who speaks very candidly about being a white coach at a HBCU, being fired, his relationship with Gregg Marshall and his desire to become a Head Coach again!
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