By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information
Guy Furr will begin his 15th year at Trinity Valley Community College in a new role. He has been promoted to become the 10th head men’s basketball coach in school history.
Furr replaces Kris Baumann, who resigned earlier this week after a four-year tenure to join the men’s basketball coaching staff at University of Texas at El Paso.
In his 14-year tenure (1987-92, 2007-16), Furr served as assistant coach to the three winningest coaches in school history – Leon Spencer, Pat Smith and Baumann.
“Coach Furr has an excellent basketball and academic background, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to achieve excellence on the court as well as in the classroom,” said interim President Jerry King. “He is well-respected by his former and current basketball players, his basketball peers, and his academic colleagues.”
Furr began his TVCC career on Spencer’s staff in 1987. He left after the 1992 season to return 15 years later on Smith’s staff.
When Furr left TVCC, he didn’t leave the area. Remaining an Athens resident, he coached and was the head boys basketball coach and principal at Martins Mill ISD for five years. He then worked at Kemp ISD as an administrator for five years, including one season as interim head boys basketball coach. Furr left Kemp for Murchison ISD, where he was superintendent for five years.
During his first tenure at TVCC, Furr was instrumental in recruiting Nick Van Exel and Shawn Kemp, both of whom went on to play in the NBA.
He is also an experienced shooting instructor and has hosted camps for the Shot Doctor in 34 different states.
Furr is a native of Murray, Kentucky. After playing basketball at Bethel College in Tennessee, he earned his bachelor of science degree from Murray State University and his master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Coach Furr will continue to enhance the reputation of TVCC as one of the top community college athletic programs in the country that is dedicated to helping student/athletes be successful in and out of the classroom,” said King.
Furr and wife Tina have two children – Alex, a recent graduate of Fresno State University and now a member of the women’s basketball coaching staff at Cameron University, and Preston, a recent graduate of Athens High School and now a student at the college.