Media Guide Section 2-Coaching Staff - Mercer University

Coaching 

Staff

Coaching Staff 

Mark Slonaker 

Head Coach - Tenth Season 

Mark Slonaker enters his 10th season at the helm of 

the Mercer men's basketball program just as energized and 

eager as any campaign during his 26 years as a coach, whether 

at the high school or collegiate level. 

Just as he has in the past, the Rahway, N.J., native is 

looking to lead the Bears back after a disappointing 2005-06 

season. The loss of James Odoms and future NFL tight end 

Wesley Duke, coupled with untimely injuries and the loss of projected 

starters complicated Slonaker's efforts to guide the team 

to its first-ever back-to-back Atlantic Sun Conference winning 

seasons. 

In his nine seasons at Mercer, the 

former University of Georgia standout has 

revived the men's basketball program and 

brought the Bears back to prominence in 

the balanced, competitive Atlantic Sun 

Conference. When he came to Mercer in 

1997, Slonaker inherited a team coming off 

of a 3-23 season in which they won just 

one game in conference play and finished 

last in the country in RPI. 

Not only did Slonaker resurrect a 

program that many considered lifeless, he 

took it to new heights, culminating in the 

Bears first-ever A-Sun regular-season 

championship in 2003. 

After earning All-America honors 

in high school, Slonaker left New Jersey for 

a scholarship at the University of Georgia 

in 1975. 

Four years later, Slonaker had 

earned four varsity letters with the Bulldogs 

and led the team in assists as a sophomore. 

After being named team captain his 

senior year, he finished his collegiate 

With the win at Kennesaw State, Jan. 28, 

2006, Mark Slonaker became the fourth 

coach ever at Mercer to win 100 games at 

the helm of the Bears. Listed below are 

the top five coaches in school history: 

Coach Wins Years 

Bill Bibb 222 1974-89 

Robert Wilder 147 1957-70 

Mark Slonaker 104 1997-present 

James Cowan 103 1946-51, 53-57 

Bill Hodges 62 1991-97 

career with 211 assists, which ranked 

fourth all-time in Georgia's history. 

With his playing days behind him, 

Slonaker jumped right into coaching, serving 

as a student assistant coach at 

Georgia for the 1979-80 campaign. 

Having a year of coaching experience 

under his belt, Slonaker set out on 

his first rebuilding project as he took over 

at The Lovett School in Atlanta. There he 

turned a perennial doormat into a successful 

program. 

Following his three-year stint at 

Lovett, Slonaker rejoined the college ranks 

by taking an assistant coaching position at 

Georgia State, where he would remain for the next six seasons, 

including a stint as interim head coach during the 1984-85 season. 

During his time at Georgia State, Slonaker was a key 

member of the staff that helped set the then-school record for 

most wins in a season. He was also responsible for signing the 

school's first all-conference performer as well as the school's alltime 

leading rebounder. 

It was during the 1984-85 season that he took over as 

interim head coach three games into the season and oversaw a 

rocky transition with a young team as the Panthers won just one 

game the rest of the year, dropping seven games by 10 points or 

less. 

Slonaker returned to his alma mater in 1989 as an 

assistant coach at Georgia under Hugh Durham, where he would 

spend the next six seasons. 

One of the top assistant coaches in the Southeastern 

Conference, Slonaker helped guide the 

Bulldogs to their only SEC Championship 

in school history. It was also during this 

time that Georgia advanced to back-toback 

NCAA Tournaments for the first time 

in school history on top of two NIT appearances. 

In 1992, Slonaker was responsible for 

one of the highest ranked recruiting classes 

and coached six players who eventually 

played in the NBA, led by Dominique 

Wilkins. Other standouts coached by 

Slonaker include Alec Kessler, Litterial 

Green, Charles Claxton, Shandon 

Anderson and Carlos Strong. 

Wilkins went on to be named a member 

of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1983, 

the high-flying 6-8 forward was named to 

seven All-NBA teams and nine consecutive 

All-Star squads. In 1986 he won the NBA 

scoring title with an average of 30.3 points 

per game. He is the Atlanta Hawks' all-time 

franchise leader in both scoring and steals 

and was elected to Naismith Memorial 

Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Having six years of experience as a 

top assistant in the SEC, Slonaker moved 

on to his next challenge as the head 

coach at perennial power Pensacola 

Junior College in 1995. In his first season, 

he guided Pensacola to a 20-12 

record and a spot in the state tournament. 

The next year, he improved on that with a 

21-9 record. 

Slonaker's opportunity for a return to 

Georgia came along as he took over at 

Mercer. It started with his first team that 

featured eight underclassmen and two 

junior college transfers. That young Bears 

team finished the 1997-98 season with a 

5-21 record, losing nine games by 10 points or less. The team 

started to show some signs of the program turning around by 

going 5-8 at home. 

The rebuilding project was getting on track as the Bears 

improved on Slonaker's first season by going 8-18 and 5-11 in 

conference play the next season. The youth movement that was 

instituted in his first season continued as the Bears had six 

Mercer Men’s Basketball 

10

underclassmen on the roster that saw a 

significant amount of playing time. 

Once again, the Bears were in 

a lot of games, losing seven by 10 

points or less, but played better away 

from home, picking up three wins, 

including an 81-75 win at Troy. 

Slonaker's project gained 

momentum in his third season as the 

Bears finished with a 12-21 record and 

a 7-11 finish in the A-Sun. 

To go along with the four-game 

improvement, as the eighth seed, the 

Bears made a Cinderella run through 

the conference tournament, knocking off 

Jacksonville in the opening round and 

then upsetting No.1 seed Troy State in 

the quarterfinals. 

This was also the coming-out 

party for freshman Scott Emerson. 

Tabbed as the future of Mercer basketball, 

Emerson earned second team allconference 

honors as a freshman. 

With three years under his belt, 

Slonaker had Mercer poised to continue 

its resurgence. And in the 2000-01 

opener, the Bears showed that 

Slonaker's hard work was paying dividends, 

knocking off SEC foe Auburn, 

92-88, on the road. The Bears would 

go on to finish the year with a 

13-15 record and held a 10-8 

record in conference play, their 

first winning conference mark 

since 1992-93, snapping a 

streak of seven straight sub- 

.500 seasons. 

On top of breaking that 

streak, Slonaker had two players 

earn all-conference honors. 

Emerson was named to the first 

team with Rodney Kirtz earning 

second-team honors. 

With an experienced 

group returning that had tasted 

success the previous year, 

Slonaker had Mercer gunning 

for a title run in 2001-02. 

Instead of a run for the roses, it 

turned into a battle for survival. 

The injury bug hit the Bears early in the season, taking 

away three of the Bears' top players and forcing Slonaker to 

throw a very young and untested team to the wolves. 

The result was a 6-23 season, but a team that showed 

flashes of brilliance and a promise of great things to come by 

winning three of their last six. Aleem Muhammed stepped up, 

leading Mercer in scoring with 17.2 points per game. For the 

third straight year, the Bears placed a player on the all-conference 

team, with Muhammed earning second-team honors. 

With a young group that had to learn on the job before 

getting Emerson and Wesley Duke back from injuries, Mercer 

once again was predicted to make a run for the title in 2002-03. 

This time, the Bears did not disappoint. Mercer jumped 

out of the gates by winning seven of their first 10 and never 

looked back. In the process, the Bears set a school record for 

most wins in a season with 23, including a 12-game winning 


Most Improved 

After going 6-23 during the 2001-02 campaign, Mark Slonaker 

and his staff oversaw one of the two biggest single-season turnarounds 

in NCAA history. The 2002-03 season saw Mercer go 

23-6 and win its first Atlantic Sun Conference regular season 

championship. The 17-game improvement still ranks as one of 

the best in Division I history. Here are the top seven single-season 

turnarounds in NCAA history: 

Team Season W-L Previous Yr. Games 

Record W-L Record Up 

Mercer 2003 23-6 6-23 17 

UTEP 2004 24-8 6-24 17 

North Carolina A&T 1978 20-8 3-24 16.5 

Murray State 1980 23-8 4-22 16.5 

Liberty 1992 22-7 5-23 16.5 

North Texas 1976 22-4 6-20 16 

Ohio State 1999 27-9 8-22 16 

streak that sent Mercer into the 

Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 

for the first time. 

The Bears were once again rewarded 

for their hard work, winning their firstever 

A-Sun regular season championship 

with a 14-2 conference record. 

Emerson earned first-team all-conference 

honors with Muhammed being 

named to the second team. 

It was also a crowning season for 

Slonaker. He was honored as the A- 

Sun "Coach of the Year" by his peers 

and won the Jim Phelan Award as the 

national coach of the year. 

In addition, Slonaker had authored 

the greatest single-season turnaround 

in NCAA history, improving on the previous 

season by 17 games. 

With Emerson and Duke returning for 

the 2003-04 season, the Bears were set 

to repeat as conference champs and 

another run at the "Big Dance." 

Once again, the injury bug hit Mercer 

hard. The Bears didn't play with their 

complete roster until Jan. 30, more than 

20 games into the regular season. 

Mercer had eight players miss a total of 

38 games, including Emerson, who 

missed 12 games after being named 

the preseason Player-of-the- 

Year by the A-Sun. 

The bright side of the season 

came on Jan. 27 when 

Slonaker sent his team on the 

floor of the Bears' new home 

court - the University Center. 

His team responded to its 

new arena by winning three of 

four games in its new home, 

including a 73-55 win over instate 

rival Georgia State. 

Under Slonaker's guidance 

the Bears were back in contention 

for the regular season 

conference title race in 2004-05. 

Behind the play of Will 

Emerson, Wesley Duke and 

Damitrius Coleman, who led the 

nation in assists, the 2004-05 

edition of the Bears were 6-2, including 2-0 in the A-Sun, heading 

into the New Year. 

Mercer lost a heartbreaking 104-101 triple overtime 

decision at home to FAU on Jan. 3, but bounced back to defeat 

eventual A-Sun Tournament champion UCF just two days later, 

80-71. 

The Bears headed to Gardner-Webb in early February 

with a share of the conference lead at stake, but fell short by a 

82-71 count. The loss was the start of a four-game losing streak 

that put the Bears in a must-win situation when Stetson came 

calling on Feb. 27. And as they say, the rest is history as senior 

James Odoms drained a shot at the buzzer to give the Bears a 

one-point win and assured Mercer its third straight conference 

tournament berth. 

The 2005-06 campaign saw Mercer start slowly and 

battle through an up-and-down season as the Bears played 10 

11 Mercer Men’s Basketball

Slonaker Quick Facts 


COLLEGE EXPERIENCE 

Mercer University 

Head Coach (Nine years) 

1997-present 104-153 (.405) 

Pensacola Junior College 

Head Coach (Two years) 

1995-1997 41-21 (.661) 

University of Georgia 

Assistant Coach (Six years) 

1989-95 

Georgia State University 

Assistant Coach (Six years) 

1983-89 

CAREER 

Head Coach 145-174 (.455) 

HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 

The Lovett School 

Head Coach (Three years) 

1980-1983 

PLAYING EXPERIENCE 


Four seasons 1975-79 

EDUCATION 

Georgia State University 

Ma Ed, 1989 


BS, 1980 

PERSONAL 

-Wife, Kathy 

-Three children: Michael (22), 

Meaghan (20) and Patrick (18) 

HONORS 

A-Sun Coach of the Year 2003 

Naismith Coach of the Year 2003 

Jim Phelan Coach of the Year 2003 

CONFERENCE TITLES 

A-Sun Regular Season 2003 

of their first 13 

games away from 

the friendly confines 

of the 

University Center. 

Mercer dropped 

seven of its first 

eight contests, but 

recovered late in 

the season, winning three of its last five regular-season games, 

all on the road. Over the Bears' final 11 regular-season conference 

contests, the average margin of victory for either team was 

just 5.2 points, with two of the games being decided by six 

points, two by three points, one by two points, three by a single 

point and two in overtime. Slonaker went on to lead the Bears to 

their fourth consecutive A-Sun tournament. appearance. 

With the win at Kennesaw State, Jan. 28, 2006, he 

The Slonakers 

(L to R): Patrick, Kathy, Michael, Meaghan and Mark. 

Slonaker’s Coaching Record 

Overall A-Sun 

Year W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Finish Tournament 

1997-98 5-21 .192 2-14 .125 6th-West None 

1998-99 8-18 .307 5-11 .313 9th None 

1999-2000 12-21 .364 7-11 .389 8th Semis (2-1) 

2000-01 13-15 .464 10-8 .556 6th Quarters (0-1) 

2001-02 6-23 .207 4-16 .200 11th None 

2002-03 23-6 .793 14-2 .875 T1st-South Semis (1-1) 

2003-04 12-18 .400 9-11 .450 6th Quarters (0-1) 

2004-05 16-12 .571 11-9 .550 T4th Quarters (0-1) 

2005-06 9-19 .321 7-13 .350 9th Quarters (0-1) 

TOTAL 104-153 .405 69-95 .421 3-6 

W-L Pct. 

Pensacola Junior College (1995-97) 41-21 .661 

Mercer (1997-present) 104-153 .405 

COLLEGIATE CAREER RECORD 145-174 .455 

notched his 100th career victory at Mercer and recorded his 

104th win at the helm of the Mercer program with the win at 

UNF, passing James Cowan for sole possession of third place 

on the school's all-time wins list. 

Slonaker received his bachelors degree from Georgia in 

physical education in 1980 and earned his masters degree in 

sports administration from Georgia State in 1989. 

He is currently serving on the NCAA’s Division I Men’s 

Basketball Issues Committee and is on the voting panel for 

CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Top 25. 

Slonaker and his wife Kathy are the proud parents of 

three children. Their oldest son, Michael, 22, is a senior at 

Mercer and is expected to contribute quality minutes again this 

season. The couple also has a daughter, Meaghan, 20, and a 

son Patrick, 18. 


12

“Coach Slon” 

Mark Slonaker enters his 10th season 

as head coach at Mercer, turning 

the program into a perennial contender 

for the Atlantic Sun Conference title and 

a team that is respected by every team 

in the league. 

A true player’s coach, Slonaker has 

been through the rigors of college basketball, 

having starred at the University 

of Georgia for four years. 

Following his playing career, 

Slonaker had a highly successful stint 

as a head coach at the high school 

level before making the leap to the college 

level. 

During his six-year stint as an 

assistant coach at his alma mater, 

Slonaker helped lead the Bulldogs to 

their only SEC Championship in school 

history. It was also during this time that 

Georgia advanced to back-to-back 

NCAA Tournaments for the first time in 

school history as well. 

After his stay at Georgia, Slonaker 

moved on to his next challenge as head coach at 

Pensacola Junior College. In his two seasons at PJC, 

Slonaker racked up an impressive 41-21 record. 

It was after his second year at PJC that Slonaker got the 

call to come back to Georgia and take over a struggling Mercer 

program that was coming off a 3-23 season. 

In the next nine years, Slonaker accomplished the following: 


Coach Slonaker with the 2003 Jim Phelan Award 

recognizing him as National Coach of the Year. 

Coach Slonaker with former Georgia and NBA standout Dominique Wilkins, who was coached by 

Slonaker at UGA. Wilkins earned the nickname "Human Highlight Film" with a plethora of spectacular 

individual plays dating back to his college years at Georgia. A member of the NBA All- 

Rookie Team in 1983, the high-flying 6-8 forward was named to seven All-NBA teams and nine 

consecutive All-Star squads and is a two-time winner of the NBA Slam-Dunk Championship. In 

1986 he won the NBA scoring title with an average of 30.3 points per game. He's the Atlanta 

Hawks' all-time franchise leader in both scoring and steals. Wilkins was elected to the Naismith 

Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. 

• Led Mercer to its first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference regular 

season championship in 2003. 

• Racked up 23 wins during the 2002-03 season, setting a new 

school record. 

• Named A-Sun “Coach of the Year” in 

2003 and won the Jim Phelan Award as 

the national coach of the year. 

• Led Mercer to an improvement in 

number of wins in each of his first four 

seasons. 

• Oversaw the biggest turnaround in 

NCAA history, leading Mercer from a 6- 

23 record to a 23-6 record. 

• Has taken Mercer to the A-Sun 

Tournament semfinals twice. 

• Coached seven players that have 

earned all-conference honors. 

• Snapped a seven-year streak of sub- 

.500 seasons in conference play. 

• Led Mercer into the top 100 in the RPI 

at the end of the 2002-03 season. 

• In just nine seasons, Slonaker is third 

on the school’s all-time wins list with 

104. 

• Graduated 21 of 22 players that have 

played all four years under his tutelage. 

• Coached five players that have 

earned Player of the Week honors 11 

times. 

• Coached 29 players that have earned 

A-Sun all-academic honors 51 times. 

• His team led the A-Sun in scoring during 

the 2004-05 season. 

• Has coached three players currently 

playing professional basketball. 



Cleveland Jackson 

Assistant Coach - Sixth Season 

Following graduation 

from the 

University of 

Georgia in 1994, a professional career 

and a successful high school coaching 

stint at Campbell Hall High School in 

California, Cleveland Jackson got the call 

from Mark Slonaker six years ago to come 

back to Georgia and help build something 

special. It was an offer that Jackson 

couldn't pass up. 

Jackson was earlier recruited by Slonaker 

to come to the University of Georgia, 

where he starred for two years with the 

Bulldogs. 

Now entering his sixth season as an 

assistant coach on Slonaker's staff, 

Jackson is responsible for scouting, 

recruiting and conditioning. 

Jackson brings a tremendous work 

ethic on top of a vast knowledge of the 

game to Mercer. 

Jackson's journey to Macon began in 

high school as a star at St. Monica 

Catholic High School in Los Angeles, 

Calif. 

A three-year starter, Jackson led the 

team to an average of 25 wins per season. 

During his junior year, he averaged 

17 points per game, was the team's leading 

scorer and hit 51 percent from the 

floor and 76 percent of his free throws. 

Jackson followed that up by averaging 

16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds as a senior 

to earn allleague 

and 

all-region 

honors as 

well as being 

named MVP 

of the El 

Camino 

Conference. 

With his high 

school career 

behind him, 

Jackson 

moved to the 

next level at 

Butler 

Community College in Kansas. 

During his freshman year, he came 

out firing, averaging 11 points and seven 

rebounds per game. 

With a year under his belt, Jackson 

blossomed as a sophomore. He finished 

the season averaging 25.9 points and 

8.8 rebounds while leading his team to 

the national tournament. 

It was also during that campaign that 

he scored 49 points in a game, setting 

the school record for most points in a 

game that still stands today. 

And with those numbers came the 

accolades and the attention. He was 

named "Junior College Player of the 

Year" by the Basketball Times and was a 

consensus first-team All-America pick by 

the National Junior College Athletics 

Association, Basketball Times and 

Basketball Weekly. 

He also was honored by having his 

jersey retired by the school. 

With all of the success he had, Jackson 

was hungry for more as he came to 

Georgia. A force at 6-foot-5, he finished 

his career by averaging 9.3 points and 

2.9 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. 

Jackson became familiar with Mercer 

early in his career at Georgia, scoring 19 

points and pulling down 10 rebounds 

while dishing out six assists in his first 

appearance as a Bulldog. 

During his career, Jackson led the 

Bulldogs to the postseason both seasons 

as Georgia advanced to the NIT in 

1993 and 1994. 

Following his collegiate career, Jackson 

played professionally in South America 

for one season before entering the 

coaching ranks. 

Jackson Quick Facts 



Assistant Coach (Five years) 

2001-present 66-78 (.458) 

CAREER 

Assistant Coach 66-78 (.458) 


Campbell Hall High School 

Head Coach (Four years) 

1997-2001 



Two seasons 1992-94 

Butler Community College (Kan.) 


South America - Professionally 

One season 1994-95 

EDUCATION 


BS, 1994 

PERSONAL 

-Wife, Shawn 

-Three children: Cleveland Jr. (10), 

Camiya (7) and Camryn (4) 



He spent four seasons as the head 

coach at Campbell Hall High School 

before joining the staff at Mercer. 

Since joining the staff, Jackson has 

been a vital part of the Bears' success. In 

his five seasons, the Bears claimed their 

first-ever Atlantic Sun regular season 

championship as well as seeing their talent 

level increase each year. 

"I am very fortunate to have Cleveland 

as an assistant," Slonaker said. "He has 

a great knowledge of the game to go 

along with a great passion to coach it as 

well." 

Jackson and his wife Shawn are the 

proud parents of three children, Cleveland 

Jr. (10), Camiya (7) and Camryn (4). 


14


Jeremy Luther 

Assistant Coach - Sixth Season 

The game of 

basketball has 

been a way of life for Jeremy Luther. 

Since his playing days in high 

school, he has been involved either 

playing or coaching basketball at 

some level and now he enters his 

sixth season as an assistant coach at 

Mercer. 

The "Luther Legend" began with 

his school career where the star led 

the state in scoring, averaging 30 

points per game, earning North 

Florida "Male Player of the Year" honors. 

Following his sensational high 

school career, Luther began his collegiate 

career at Robert Morris College. 

Playing just one season, he appeared 

in all 28 games. 

After the season, he transferred to 

Liberty University, attending there for 

two years before moving to Covenant 

College. 

Luther found his niche playing for 

the Scots. 

He would go 

on to score 

1,300 points 

in his two 

seasons at 

Covenant. 

Following his 

senior year, 

he was 

named to the 

NAIA Division 

II All-America 

team after 

finishing 

fourth in the country in scoring, averaging 

26 points per contest. 

With his college career behind 

him, Luther began playing professionally 

overseas. He started with 

Athletes in Action, touring Australia 

and New Zealand. He also played 

with the Dakota Wizards of the IBA. 

Following his stint with professional 

basketball, Luther began his 

coaching career at North 

Greenville College, serving 

as an assistant coach while 

finishing his degree. 

Upon graduation, 

Luther came to Macon, taking 

the head basketball 

coach position at Windsor 

Academy for one season 

before joining Mark 

Slonaker's staff. 

Since joining the staff 

at Mercer, Luther has played 

a key role in the recruitment 

of student-athletes as well as 

helping lead the Bears to 

their first-ever conference 

championship in 2003. 

His primary responsibilities 

at Mercer include 

scouting, recruiting and team 

travel, as well as the team's 

strength and conditioning 

program. 

Luther also served as 

the head coach of the men's 

and women's cross country 

Luther Quick Facts 



Assistant Coach (Five years) 

2001-present 66-78 (.458) 

North Greenville 

Assistant Coach (Two years) 

1998-2000 

CAREER 

Assistant Coach-Mercer 66-78 (.458) 

Assistant Coach-North Greenville 


Windsor Academy 

Head Coach (One year) 

2000-2001 


Robert Morris College 


Liberty University 


Covenant College 


Athletes in Action 


Dakota Wizards (IBA) 


EDUCATION 

North Greenville College 

BS, 2000 

PERSONAL 

-Wife, Ginny 

-Have two dogs, Marino and Rebound 



teams for three seasons early in his 

Mercer career. 

An avid Miami Dolphins fan, he 

and his wife Ginny have two dogs, 

Marino and Rebound. 



Tyler McCurry 

Assistant Coach - Second Season 

When Mark Slonaker was looking for a former 

player to name to the coaching staff following the 

2004-05 season, he did not have to look far. 

Tyler McCurry begins his second season on 

the Mercer coaching staff having gained a year of 

experience from a coaches' perspective. However, 

the Abingdon, Ill., native is no stranger to Mercer 

basketball, spending four years as a player and "floor 

general" for head coach Mark Slonaker. He earned 

his bachelors degree in business in May, 2005, and 

was the recipient of the 2005 Dee Horwitz 

Sportsmanship Award at Mercer's Athletic Awards 

Banquet. 

The intense, competitive guard was known for 

his defense and long-range shooting skills during his 

four-year career at Mercer. His responsibilities 

include assisting with scouting opponents, player 

development and is responsible for film exchange. 

McCurry played in all 28 games his senior 

season, averaging more than nine minutes a contest 

while coming off the bench to provide leadership at 

the guard position. 

"After eight years at Mercer University I 

thought it was time to have a former player on the 

staff, especially one as capable as Tyler," said 

Slonaker. "He loves the University and is a great 

asset to our basketball program. He has all the qualities 

to be an outstanding basketball coach. He has 

done a great job, both on and off the court." 

McCurry, a graduate student, is engaged to 

be married to Katie Caraway, a Mercer senior majoring 

in psychology who is scheduled to graduate in 

May 2007. 

McCurry Quick Facts 



Assistant Coach (One year) 

2006-present 9-19 (.474) 



Four seasons 2001-2005 

EDUCATION 


BS, 2005 

PERSONAL 

Single and resides in Macon, Ga. 


16

Support Staff 

Support Staff 

Rob Murphy 

Director of Sports Medicine 

Eighth Season 

Rob Murphy is in his eighth season as director of 

Mercer's Sports Medicine Department, overseeing the 

healthcare related needs for the 14 Division I sports. 

During his tenure at Mercer, Murphy has overseen the 

sports medicine needs of the men's and women's basketball 

teams, men's soccer and baseball. 

Murphy has established a professional relationship 

with Mercer Health Systems, Forsyth Street Orthopaedics 

and various other medical facilities in the Greater Macon 

and Atlanta area in an effort to provide Mercer University's 

student-athletes with the most comprehensive healthcare 

available. 

He is also active on campus promoting health and 

safety as a representative on the University's Alcohol 

Awareness Task Force and the Student-Health Advisory 

Committee. 

Prior to coming to Mercer, Murphy attended graduate 

school at the University of Georgia. While at UGA, 

he served as the athletic trainer for baseball and softball. 

Prior to his arrival at Georgia, Murphy acquired 

clinical experience in Gainesville, Fla., as the Director of 

Athletic Training Services at the Physical Therapy Center, 

Inc. In addition, he served as the Head Athletic Trainer at 

Oak Hall School. 

A native of Ocala, 

Fla., Murphy received his 

bachelors degree in exercise 

and sports sciences with an 

emphasis in athletic training 

from the University of Florida 

in 1994. As a student athletic 

trainer with the Gators, 

Murphy was named head 

student athletic trainer from 

1993-94. He was also honored 

with a University 

Presidential Leadership 

Award in 1993. 

Emory Dunn 

Statistics 

Kelly Kiefer 

Manager 

Thom Mead 

Public Address 

Eli Sanders 

Game Audio 

Management 

Rachel Green 

Assistant 

Athletic Trainer 

Brett Jarrett 

Marketing and 

Promotions 

Hunton 

Morgan 

Statistics 

Kristen Smith 

Athletics Staff 

Assistant 

Tammi Ford 

Statistics 


Sports Medicine 

Treatment and Rehabilitation Areas 

Aquatics 

. 

Mercer University’s Sports Medicine 

Department utilizes a state-of-the-art 

athletic training facility to provide 

quality comprehensive healthcare to 

student-athletes. The facility is staffed 

by six certified athletic trainers, a family 

practice physician and an 

orthopaedic surgeon. Student-athletes 

have access to therapeutic services 

such as ultrasound, electrical 

stimulation, hydrotherapy, rehabilitation, 

nutritional counseling and preventative 

physical medicine. 

Staff Offices 

Hydrotherapy 

Physician’s Exam 

Sports Medicine Staff 

Rob Murphy 

Director 

Men’s Basketball 

Rachel Green 

Assistant Director 

Volleyball and Baseball 

Kristin Bourque 

Women’s Basketball 

and Cross Country 

Molly Carver 

Softball, Rifle and 

Cheerleading 

Payton Haynes 

Men’s Soccer and 

Tennis 

Laura Mushik 

Women’s Soccer 

and Golf 


18

Media Guide Section 2-Coaching Staff - Mercer University

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