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On Wednesday, the Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko, who had been the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) since 2002, as the team’s new head coach.
Owner of the third-highest winning percentage (.845) among active head coaches in NCAA Division I women’s basketball (behind only UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey), Smesko led FGCU to 611 wins, 14 Atlantic Sun (ASUN) regular season titles, 11 ASUN tournament championships and 10 NCAA Tournament berths in 23 seasons behind an innovative offensive style that heavily emphasized 3-point shots, using the threat of long distance shots to then open easier scoring opportunities around the basket.
He’ll now import that offense to an Atlanta team that tended to stagnant on that end of the floor, finishing last in offensive rating for the 2024 WNBA season. As Atlanta general manager Dan Padover noted, “The one thing that we know for sure is we’re going to play highly efficient basketball.”
Atlanta Dream get ready to learn 3 point shots buddy!
Karl Smesko’s FGCU teams have only averaged less than 27 3PA per game once since 2009-2010.
It’s more than just taking threes, it’s a tool for the rest of the offense to move and more. But FGCU is #Raining3s for good reason!
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) November 13, 2024
Padover furthered elaborated:
Karl is a proven leader with a history of developing his players and creating a winning culture. His fast-paced, innovative style of play will be attractive to our players and fans alike. We are excited to have Karl bring his incredible basketball IQ to the Dream.
On Smesko, Dream majority owner Larry Gottesdiener said:
This is an exciting moment for our fans, the city of Atlanta, and the entire Dream organization. A great basketball mind is coming to our city. Karl’s passion for and commitment to women’s basketball bring out the best in everyone around him. I am confident we have found the right leader to take our organization to the next level.
Smesko expressed appreciation for the opportunity, saying:
I am humbled and honored to be the head coach of the Atlanta Dream….I’m thankful to the leadership of the Atlanta Dream for their faith in me to lead this organization into the future and can’t wait to get started.
He added, “This, for me, is about getting a new challenge to get to work with the greatest women’s basketball players in the world,” before speaking of the potential of Dream All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, asserting, “We need to leverage their strengths and put them in optimal positions to play to their greatness,”
One of Smesko’s most successful charges at FGCU was Kierstan Bell, the now two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces who turned a single season with the Eagles into a becoming a first-round selection in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
Smesko is scheduled to officially join the franchise later this month, as he passes on his post at FGCU to his top assistant Chelsea Lyles, who also played at FGCU.