SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference will host its 2021 SoCon Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. All eight SoCon women’s basketball head coaches and all 10 men’s head coaches will be on hand to meet with the media and preview the upcoming season, while Southern Conference Commissioner Jim Schaus and ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla will speak at the event’s luncheon.
 
Each coach will rotate through a series of media stations throughout the day, with their sessions with Pete Yanity slated to air on ESPN+ on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.
 
The league’s preseason all-conference teams and polls will be unveiled at the event, with the women’s polls and team released at 9 a.m. ahead of their media sessions and the men’s polls and team released at 1 p.m. ahead of theirs.
 
Four new league coaches will be on hand for the event. On the women’s side, Simon Harris is now patrolling the sidelines at ETSU, while Desmond Oliver takes over the Bucs’ men’s program. Mike Jones enters his first season at the helm for UNCG’s men’s program and Justin Gray makes his head coaching debut for the Western Carolina men’s squad this season.
 
The reigning SoCon Coach of the Year on both sides returns in Samford women’s coach Carley Kuhns and VMI men’s coach Dan Earl.
 
Six SoCon men’s teams and one women’s team appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 rankings last season. The league’s men’s programs ranked ninth national in the RPI and 10^th in the NET rankings.
 
The Southern Conference continues to celebrate its 100 years of history in 2021. The league has a rich history in the sport of basketball, notably holding the first-ever conference basketball tournament in 1921. This season’s Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships, which will be the 102^nd edition of the men’s tournament and the 39th edition of the women’s, will take place March 3-7 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. Mercer is the defending women’s champion and UNCG is the defending men’s champion.
 
The regular season starts on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with six SoCon women’s teams and nine men’s teams in action.
 
SoCon Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles schedule
9:30-11:30 a.m.      Women’s coaches available
12-1 p.m.                Tip Off luncheon
1:15-3:45 p.m.        Men’s coaches available
 
Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Coaches
ETSU: Simon Harris
Furman: Jackie Carson
Mercer: Susie Gardner
UNCG: Trina Patterson
Samford: Carley Kuhns
Chattanooga: Katie Burrows
Western Carolina: Kiley Hill
Wofford: Jimmy Garrity
 
Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Coaches
The Citadel: Duggar Baucom
ETSU: Desmond Oliver
Furman: Bob Richey
Mercer: Greg Gary
UNCG: Mike Jones
Samford: Bucky McMillan
Chattanooga: Lamont Paris
VMI: Dan Earl
Western Carolina: Justin Gray
Wofford: Jay McAuley