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75th Season Graphic

Men's Basketball Brandon Sans

Men's Hoops Readies for 75th Season

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – No one could have imagined the heights the UNCW men's basketball program has experienced when William J. "Bill" Brooks was hired as Wilmington College's first athletic director, basketball coach, baseball coach and chairman of the health and physical education department in September of 1951.

Now, as the program prepares for its 75th season since the hiring of Coach Brooks, reflections on memorable moments and milestones, highlighted by Tidal Rising, a historic men's basketball documentary series presented by Southeast Mortgage, will be celebrated throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

PROGRAM HISTORY
The program was formally established at the junior college level in 1951-52 with the hiring of Brooks, who served as the first of 11 full-time men's basketball coaches for 21 seasons (1951-72), including nine as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member, before turning the reigns over to assistant coach Mel Gibson, a former Los Angeles Laker reserve guard, who stewarded the Seahawks for 14 seasons.

As athletics director, Brooks oversaw the school's transition to NCAA Division I status in 1976 and, in perhaps two of his most crowning achievements, the opening of Trask Coliseum in 1977 and establishing UNCW as a founding member of the Colonial Athletic Association (now known as the Coastal Athletic Association) in 1985.

Following Gibson's transition to an administrative role, after the 1984-85 campaign, Brooks tabbed Sam Houston head coach Robert McPherson as the new Seahawk bench boss in 1986. McPherson established UNCW as a top CAA squad, taking the Seahawks to their first two conference championship games in 1987 and 1989.

The program soared to new heights around the turn of the century, following Coach Jerry Wainwright's arrival in 1994. Wainwright cemented his status as UNCW coaching icon as the Seahawks captured their first and second CAA Championships in 2000 and 2002, culminating with the school's first NCAA win against Southern California in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

From there, Brad Brownell, a longtime Wainwright assistant, guided UNCW to two more CAA Championships in 2003 and 2006, giving the Seahawks four league crowns in a seven-year span.

More recently, fans have witnessed the Seahawks' championship renaissance under Kevin Keatts, who secured three straight CAA regular season championships and a pair of CAA Tournament titles in 2016 and 2017, the latter of which established a program record of 29 wins.

The return of Takayo Siddle, a top lieutenant under Keatts, at the start of this decade has continued UNCW's trajectory of success, including the school's league-record seventh CAA Championship last March, the first postseason crown at the 2022 CBI Championship and the first win over a nationally ranked opponent at Kentucky in 2023.

Along the way, key players, coaches, support staff and countless others have created unforgettable experiences on the hardwood as the program has climbed into the collective memory of UNCW and college basketball fans for nearly 75 years.

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS – Oct. 9
The Night of Champions, presented by George and Sylvia Rountree, is a newly imagined spin on the annual tip-off banquet, held at the Like Oak Estate. The event will introduce the 2025-26 UNCW team and staff, celebrate the program's rich history, and highlight the Seahawks' league-record seven CAA Championships. Proceeds for the 7 p.m. dinner, featuring a 6 p.m. VIP cocktail hour for select sponsors, will benefit UNCW men's basketball.

All four of UNCW's CAA Championship-winning head coaches – Jerry Wainwright (2000, 2002), Brad Brownell (2003, 2006), Kevin Keatts (2016, 2017) and Takayo Siddle (2025) – will assemble for the first time together on the dais in a special 'Championship Coaches Panel' moderated by Jon Rothstein, a national college basketball insider for CBS Sports.

TIDAL RISING: A UNCW BASKETBALL DOCUMENTARY
Tidal Rising will be a five-part documentary series produced by the Seahawk Digital Network that showcases a unique first-hand account of UNCW men's basketball history from its beginnings as a junior college program to its rise as one of the most respected mid-majors in college basketball.

Fans can hear the story of UNCW basketball like never before through archival footage and videos, exclusive interviews with former players, coaches, support staff and media members. The multi-part series will shine a spotlight on legendary figures and historic moments, as well as game-changing milestones.

Tidal Rising will premiere this fall on the Seahawk Digital Network YouTube channel.

$7.50 EXHIBITION TICKETS
Take advantage of this limited-time deal for exhibition contests against High Point (Oct. 18) and Francis Marion (Oct. 26) that pays homage to the upcoming 75th season of organized basketball at UNCW.


 
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