Grand Canyon names South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy as new head coach

In a recent announcement from Grand Canyon University, assistant coach Winston Gandy has been appointed as the new head coach for the Arizona-based program. Gandy will be stepping into the role after Molly Miller departed for Arizona State.

Currently in his second season as part of Dawn Staley’s staff at South Carolina, Gandy will continue his duties with the undefeated Gamecocks (32-3) until the end of the season. South Carolina, which is a No. 1 seed, will play the winner of the second-round NCAA Tournament matchup between No. 4 Maryland and No. 5 Alabama this Friday in the Sweet 16, held in Birmingham, Alabama.

Before joining South Carolina, Gandy spent three years at Duke as the associate head coach. This new position at Grand Canyon will mark his first head coaching opportunity. His previous experience also includes serving as Rice’s associate head coach, Maryland’s director of recruiting, and three seasons in the NBA with the Washington Wizards focusing on player development.

Since becoming a part of Staley’s staff, Gandy has contributed to one national championship win and is currently aiming for another with South Carolina. Staley, in her statement, emphasized Gandy’s significant role in devising the defensive strategy against Iowa’s star player Caitlin Clark during the 2024 national championship game.

“I’m thrilled for Winston Gandy on being named the head coach at Grand Canyon University,” Staley remarked. “Over the past two seasons with our program at South Carolina, I’ve seen firsthand his incredible work ethic, recruiting talent, and passion for the game. Winston is one of the hardest workers and best recruiters in our sport, and he’s a true student of the game. More importantly, he genuinely cares about our players and builds real relationships on and off the court. He’ll always be part of our Gamecock family, and I know he’s ready for this opportunity. I have no doubt he’ll do a fantastic job at GCU, and I can’t wait to watch him thrive as a head coach.”

This marks an exciting new chapter for Winston Gandy as he takes the reins at Grand Canyon University, following a solid tenure under Dawn Staley’s guidance at South Carolina. The entire basketball community is eager to see how Gandy will continue to develop as a coach in this next chapter of his career.