By Russell Moore
The Cullman Times
HANCEVILLE —
Wallace State men’s basketball coach Allen Sharpe is going out on top.
Sharpe, who guided the school to its first Alabama Community College Conference state title in February, is leaving the basketball program at its highest peak. Sharpe, 33, was introduced Tuesday as the new head coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, a Division II school in the Gulf South Conference.
Sharpe follows the footsteps of his father, Gary, who coached the Boll Weevils from 1985-91.
“I have a dream and career goals I’ve set for myself and Arkansas-Monticello is a place that can help me chase that dream a bit,” said Sharpe. “Wallace State was one of those places too. We’re excited about the move but at the same time we’re upset we are going to be moving away from so many great friends and co-workers in Hanceville and Cullman.
“Leaving behind all of our great relationships we have built at Wallace State is going to be the hard part.”
Wallace State basketball made huge strides in Sharpe’s five-year tenure. He finished with a 136-30 record and led the Lions to a fifth-place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament this season after winning their first ACCC Tournament championship.
Wallace State started the season as the seventh-ranked junior college team by the Sporting News and finished with a 32-5 record, tying a school record for wins. The Lions beat rival Shelton State in overtime in the ACCC title game after trailing in regulation by nine points with less than two minutes left.
Wallace State won its opening-round game against Butler County (Kan.) Community College in the NJCAA National Tournament before falling in the second round to the College of Eastern Utah. The Lions put together two more victories in Kansas to finish fifth in the nation.
Sharpe was named the ACCC Northern Division Coach of the Year for the third time.
“We had a great run of winning a lot of ballgames, but I never felt like we did what we needed to do until we won the conference tournament, went to Huchinson, Kansas and made a run at a national championship,” Sharpe said. “I’m really satisfied with the results at Wallace State. I think the program has been drastically changed over the last four or five years.”
Sharpe had the Lions in the ACCC Tournament championship game his final three seasons. During the 2007-08 season, Wallace State went 32-1 and earned a No. 1 ranking behind a perfect regular season. He earned the Glen Clem Award as the Birmingham Tip-off Club’s Coach of the Year after the 2007-08 season.
Sharpe coached two-time NJCAA 1st-Team All-American Cory Cooperwood (2006-07, 2007-08) and NJCAA 1st-Team All-American L.A. Farmer this season.
“I knew when I hired Coach Sharpe that one day he would move on as he pursued his dreams. He is that good. He has built a fine basketball program at Wallace State, enjoying an undefeated season, a No. 1 national ranking, our first ACCC title ever in men’s basketball and a great showing at the NJCAA tournament,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Hawsey. “I will follow him at the Arkansas-Monticello and onto the professional league, where I expect to see him in the future. We wish coach Sharpe well.”
Sharpe believes Wallace State basketball can continue to build upon its recent excellence.
“One of my goals was to get where we were. Great programs run themselves after a while, but you’ve still got to go out, hustle and recruit if you want the right players to come and be a part of it,” Sharpe said. “Reputations build off winning games, and we won a lot of games at Wallace State.”
Sharpe has compiled a 206-55 career record in eight seasons. Prior to Sharpe’s tenure at Wallace State, he coached three seasons at Truett McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga., amassing a 70-25 record.
He played collegiately at Lipscomb University for the legendary Don Meyer, and ranks 19th on the all-time scorers list, totaling 1,431 career points from 1996-2000.
Sharpe earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Lipscomb in 2000 and a master’s degree in education from Piedmont College in 2002.
Sharpe and his wife, Susan, have three children: Garrison, 6, Ally, 3 and Anderson, eight months.
“The thing that will stick out the most is how wonderful the Wallace State family treated me and my family. I appreciate all that Dr. Hawsey and Dr. Jennie Gurley did for our program. We’ve built great relationships and Wallace State, Cullman and Hanceville will always be a home to us,” Sharpe said. “It’s bittersweet but the transition to Arkansas-Monticello is going to be great. The president and vice-president who were there 20 years ago when my dad coached are still there. That will help us do well.”
