BASKETBALL
Bullock new
women’s coach at Armstrong
Fala Bullock has been hired as the new women’s basketball coach at Arrmstrong Atlantic State, the school announced Thursday.
Bullock joins Armstrong from Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, where she started the program in 2011 and directed the Cougars to a 25-6 record in just their second season of competition in 2012-13, advancing to the GCAA Championships.
Bullock was the assistant coach as well as the Senior Woman’s Administrator (SWA) at Peach Belt Conference member Columbus State for two years. The Cougars featured WBCA first-team All-American selection Phoebe Smith and compiled a 32-23 record in her two seasons with the program.
She will be introduced to the Savannah community at a reception on July 9th, at 2 p.m. in the Armstrong Student Union.
“I am very excited to be a member of the Armstrong athletic program and represent the Pirates as the head women’s basketball coach,” Bullock said. “Armstrong athletics has a long-standing reputation of success in the Peach Belt Conference and I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to that success.”
A former two-year standout at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., Bullock earned her bachelor’s of science degree in health and human performance from Northeastern State in 2004 as well as her master’s of science degree in kinesiology from Northeastern State in 2006.
She served as a graduate assistant for her alma mater from 2004-06, then spent one season as an assistant coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College before moving on to NCAA Division II Midwestern State as an assistant coach from 2007-09.
“After conducting a thorough search it became evident that coach Fala Bullock was the best fit for Pirate Athletics and our women’s basketball program,” Armstrong athletic director Lisa Sweany said. “Her background as an NCAA DII student-athlete and assistant coach as well as her recent head coaching experience gives her a unique perspective with which to lead our young ladies.”
Bullock takes over the Armstrong program from Matt Schmidt, who departed to become an assistant coach at Duquesne University.
RACING
Kentucky race taps Calipari
LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Calipari will help orchestrate the most powerful drive of his career next weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
The Kentucky basketball coach is the honorary pace car official for the Quaker State 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Calipari is a front-seat passenger in the Ford Fusion that will lead the 43-car field to the green flag on June 29 but looks forward to setting the fast pace similar to what he seeks from the Wildcats’ offense.
Calipari said in a release Thursday that leading the high-speed field is like “walking out in the Final Four and having your team behind you. ... The speed of it is what gets everybody hyped.”
Brian Vickers’ No. 55 Toyota, sporting the colors of rival Louisville, should also rev up race fans.