Mark Slonaker
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
February 14, 1957 Rahway, New Jersey |
| Playing career | |
| 1975–1979 | Georgia |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1980–1983 | The Lovett School |
| 1983–1984 | Georgia State (asst.) |
| 1984–1985 | Georgia State |
| 1985–1989 | Georgia State (asst.) |
| 1989–1995 | Georgia (asst.) |
| 1995–1997 | Pensacola JC |
| 1997–2008 | Mercer |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| A-Sun regular season championship (2003) | |
| Awards | |
| A-Sun Coach of the Year (2003) | |
Mark Slonaker (born February 14, 1957) is an American college basketball coach. He is the former head men's basketball coach at Mercer University. He was the 2002–03 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year after leading Mercer to the best one season turnaround in NCAA history, improving from 6–23 to 23–6. The team won the Atlantic Sun regular season championship with a 14–2 conference record and made school history for number of wins (23); Mercer won 22 games in 1923–24 and 1984–85. The season ended with a loss in the Atlantic Sun tournament. Slonaker was the first National Coach of the Year to receive the award after it was named in honor of Jim Phelan.[1] Slonaker's contract was not renewed after the 2007–08 season.[2]
Slonaker grew up in Rahway, New Jersey, where he attended Rahway High School.[3] He was a four-year Letterman at the University of Georgia under Hugh Durham from 1975-1979. He was named co-captain during his senior year. He graduated with a B.A. in Education before attending Georgia State University where he earned a Masters in Sports Administration.[4] Since 2009, Slonaker has served as the radio color commentator for the Georgia Bulldogs Men's Basketball team.
References
- ↑ Recipients, Jim Phelan Award. Accessed January 30, 2008.
- ↑ http://www2.mercer.edu/News/Articles/2008/080226slonaker.htm
- ↑ Gomes, Jay. "Former Teaneck star Baker makes choice", Rivals.com, June 7, 2001. Accessed January 30, 2008. "Situation, a New Jersey native and a former Rahway High School standout, inked his first Garden State recruit in signing Baker, a native of Teaneck."
- ↑ Felton, Claude. "MARK SLONAKER NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GEORGIA BULLDOG CLUB". Bulldawg Illustrated. Retrieved 13 November 2012.