Sports News
(From left) President Mike Licari, Head Coach Nate James and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison
James new men’s basketball head coach Twenty years ago, Nate James played 20 minutes for Duke in the 2001 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game win against Arizona, earning the first of three national title rings he’d pick up as a Blue Devil – one as a player and two as an assistant coach under one of college basketball’s most legendary names. Today, he is ushering in a new era of basketball in Clarksville as the 13th head men’s basketball coach in Austin Peay State University history. “To have the opportunity to lead my own program, be part of the amazing vision for a place like APSU and serve a community that embraces its university and student-athletes has been a dream of mine for quite some time,” he said last spring. “It is exactly what every coach wishes for.” The 43-year old James has basketball – and success – ingrained in him. From his time as a player 28 | FALL 2021
to his tenure as a coach, James has been a part of 22 regular-season, tournament or national title teams. Thirty players in James’ sphere of influence have earned All-ACC honors during his time at Duke, with 17 earning All-America honors, five earning National Freshman of the Year and two – Marvin Bagley III in 2018 and Zion Williamson in 2019 – being named National Player of the Year.
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I will work endlessly to build a basketball culture with the type of culture that every player, alum, donor and fan will always be proud of. This is an amazing day to be a Gov! Let’s Go Peay!
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