CLEVELAND, Ga. — Truett McConnell University Athletics dedicated Colby Tilley Court inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena on Saturday, honoring one of the most successful coaches in program history.
The weekend celebration began Friday with a dinner attended by former players, colleagues and members of the university community. The dedication continued Saturday with an on-court ceremony held between the women’s and men’s basketball games. Tilley was joined by family, friends, former players and current members of the program for the unveiling.
Tilley launched his coaching career at Truett McConnell, leading the women’s basketball program from 1976 to 1985. He compiled a 234-46 record, an .836 winning percentage. His teams won five consecutive Georgia state championships from 1978 through 1982 and made four national tournament appearances.
The 1979-80 team posted a 36-2 record and won the NJCAA National Championship, the only national title in the university’s athletics history.
Tilley was named Region 17 Coach of the Year six times and Atlanta Tip-Off Club Junior College Coach of the Year in his final season in Cleveland.
After leaving Truett McConnell, Tilley founded the women’s basketball program at Auburn University at Montgomery, where he went 218-74 in nine seasons. He later coached 17 seasons at Kennesaw State University, finishing as the program’s all-time winningest coach with 290 victories and leading the Owls through their transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.
Tilley is an inaugural member of the Truett McConnell Athletics Hall of Fame and has also been inducted into the Auburn Montgomery Hall of Fame, the Kennesaw State University Hall of Fame and the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
University officials said the dedication honors not only Tilley’s championship success but also his leadership and commitment to developing student-athletes. Proceeds from the court-naming campaign will go toward the TMU women’s basketball scholarship endowment.
