Legendary basketball coach retires
Sydney Taylor, Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of NGU athletics
North Greenville University’s athletic program is taking a hard hit by the upcoming retirement of Jayne Arledge. Finishing up her final season this school year brings her total up to 36 seasons as a coach for the Crusaders. She first took the coaching job only two years after coaching at Dorman High School in 1981.
Although Arledge was very young she had already been a very accomplished athlete in her prime. She finished her college career with multiple school records and over 1,900 points. She was a young coach starting out when NGU was just a junior college. She made it through the transition of becoming a four-year school while figuring out how she should recruit and train her players.
No matter what changed within the school or the new players she would get, the one thing that remained true was the hard work and effort the team had to put in.
Makenzie Shellnut, one of Arledge’s players, said, “She always pushed us to do our best. If she saw we were slacking she would say ‘If ya’ll aren’t moving I guard ya!’” She believed in having a relationship with the team.”
Arledge told Greenville Online, “I keep telling them, ‘You’re not going to remember wins and losses near as much as you’re going to remember the fun times you had with your team,’” she said. “I can’t recall hardly any major losses or major wins, but I could go back and look at this kid and tell you about funny things they did.”
Arledge has worked hard and been a well-respected coach throughout her time at North Greenville. She has impacted not only many players but other staff members and coaches as well. “She’s someone I look up to as a pioneer in female coaching, she is a mentor and a friend. She has touched a lot of lives and had a lot of success coaching not only basketball but volleyball as well,” says NGU Women’s strength and conditioning coach, Kaitlyn Bernardi.
Arledge will not be leaving the university all together. She will be staying to help teach in the Physical Education department to keep spreading her knowledge to the new faces of NGU.
