Chris Dorsey named 22nd Gents basketball coach
SHREVEPORT, LA – Centenary College Director of Athletics and Recreation, Dr. Bob Bunnell, announced Thursday, June 29, that Chris Dorsey has been named the 22nd head coach in the 93-year history of Gents basketball.
"After a competitive national search, we are excited to welcome Chris to the Centenary College athletic community,” said Dr. Bunnell. “We were impressed by his enthusiasm throughout the interview process and believe he is the right person to lead our student-athletes on and off the court. I know he will be an asset for the program for years to come.”
Dorsey comes to Shreveport after spending the last three seasons at his alma mater, NCAA Division III Lyndon State in Vermont.
“I am extremely excited to be the next head men’s basketball coach at Centenary College,” said Dorsey. “I’d like to thank Dr. Bunnell and the entire search committee for giving me this great opportunity and welcoming me to the Centenary family. After visiting campus, meeting with the coaches, administrators, and speaking with some of the returning student-athletes, I knew Centenary was a perfect fit for me. I am eager for the upcoming season. The program already has some talented players that will fit perfectly in our up-tempo system. We will build a defensive identity, be fundamentally sound, and share the basketball on the offensive end.
“I am excited to be a Gent and I can’t wait to develop relationships and serve the Shreveport community,” added Dorsey.
For the past three seasons, Dorsey led the Hornets to an overall record of 33-45 and a 29-27 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) mark. During that time, he has mentored three all-conference honorees and the 2015-16 NAC Rookie of the Year while guiding Lyndon State to three NAC Tournament berths and two semifinal appearances
Under Dorsey’s tutelage, Lyndon State has risen from the middle of the NAC to one of the best defensive teams in the conference. This past season, Lyndon State led the conference in defensive three-point percentage and finished second in both points allowed and turnovers forced. Prior to his arrival, the Hornets ranked eighth in the NAC in points allowed, fourth in miscues forced, and sixth in defensive three-point percentage.
Prior to his stint at his alma mater, Dorsey spent 2012-13 as an associate head women’s basketball coach at the University of Virginia at Wise. He completely installed the offensive system for that season, as the Cavaliers averaged 78 points per game. Dorsey also designed the recruiting plan that saw UVA-Wise sign nine student-athletes.
After his graduation from Lyndon State, Dorsey spent four seasons as both the assistant men’s basketball coach and the strength and conditioning coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. During his first season, he helped the Eagles improve 11 wins to finish with an 18-10 record, the best in the program’s history. Daniel Webster also advanced to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference New England Basketball Tournament for the first time in school history.
In his time playing for the Hornets, Dorsey served as co-captain of the 2004-05 squad. That season, he helped Lyndon State post the best record in the history of the institution at 23-5. Dorsey was also named Lyndon State’s Male Athlete of the Year that same season after leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists per game (8.4).
Dorsey graduated with a bachelor’s in exercise science from Lyndon State and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in athletic leadership from Castleton.
Visit Gents basketball on gocentenary.com.