Luther, Dotterer turn Newberry Basketball around

Two years ago, Newberry College Hired Mercer Assistant Coach Jeremy Luther as its new Head Basketball Coach. In turn, Luther hired as his assistant Travis Dotterer, a High School coach at Mt. DeSales Academy in Macon, GA. In just two years, these two have turned the Indians upside down.

Under Luther's guidance this year, Newberry had its best season ever since joining NCAA Division II in the early 1990s; 21-8. They also achieved another first in the program's history, going 10-6 in the South Atlantic Conference, as well as being ranked 9th in the NCAA Southeast Region rankings. It was the first time the Men's' Basketball program had ever been ranked regionally.

In one of my previous blogs, I talked about the hiring of Mark Fox as Georgia's new Head Coach and how he might do what Bruce Pearl at Tennessee has already done. Luther is another example of how new blood and a fresh, new approach of doing things can reap success.

Both Coach Luther and his assistant Travis Dotterer, have several years of coaching experience at the high school level, which has prepared them for their recent success at Newberry. Luther was the Boys Varsity Head Coach at Windsor Academy in Macon, GA before joining Mark Slonaker's staff at Mercer. Travis Dotterer served as Varsity Boys Head Coach at three different schools, most notable Mt. DeSales Academy, where in 2001 he guided Mt. DeSales to the GISA Final Four before Luther snapped him up to Newberry.

What I'm describing is nothing new in the coaching world. Coaches slowly moving up the ranks and achieving more and more success. Before this year, the Newberry College Indians had three straight seasons of no more than 12 wins, now they are on the cusp of doing something that has never been done in the school's history; getting into the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully with a good recruiting class coming in for the 2009-10 campaign and the returning players continuing to grow, the Indians will achieve their long-awaited goal in 2010, dancing.