Karl Smesko, Revere High School graduate leaves Florida Gulf Coast University to become coach of the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA.
Smesko, 54, joins the WNBA after 23 seasons as Florida Gulf Coast’s women’s basketball coach. Smesko compiled a 611-112 record as the school’s first and so far only coach. He is 672-139 overall as a head coach with previous tenures as women’s coach at Walsh University and Purdue Fort Wayne.
Smesko, a 1989 Revere graduate, had the third-highest winning percentage (.829) among active Division I women’s basketball coaches, behind UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey.
FGCU and UConn are the only Division I teams to win 25 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons.
“The W has intrigued me for a long time,” Smekso told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “When this opportunity presented itself, it really seemed like the right place and the right time. I’ve had great conversations with the general manager and with their owners and it’s the right decision for me in this moment.
“…I’m not afraid of challenges. Everything is in place for great things to happen in Atlanta and if we make good decisions along the way and continue to improve, anything is possible. I I wouldn’t go to Atlanta if I didn’t think a WNBA championship wasn’t a realistic possibility.”
Atlanta went 15-25 in the regular season in 2024 and reached the playoffs, losing in the first round to the eventual WNBA champion New York Liberty. The Dream have not had a winning record since the 2018 season.
“Karl is a proven leader with a history of developing his players and creating a winning culture,” Dream general manager Dan Padover said in a press release. “His fast, innovative style of play will be attractive to our players and fans. We are excited to have Karl bring his incredible basketball IQ to the dream.”
Dream owner Larry Gottesdiener called the hiring “an exciting moment for our fans, the city of Atlanta and the entire Dream organization.”
“A great basketball spirit is coming to our city,” Gottesdiener said. “Karl’s passion and commitment to women’s basketball brings 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, a basketball and football player at Revere, earned degrees from Kent State in 1993 and Walsh University in 1998. He was Walsh’s head coach for one season and led the Cavaliers to 1997-98 NAIA Division II national title. He spent one season as an assistant at Maryland, two seasons as head coach at Purdue Fort Wayne before joining FGCU.
Smesko came to Fort Myers in 2001 and built the FGCU women’s basketball program from the ground up. In its first year, Division II FGCU went 30-1 in 2002-03. FGCU moved to Division I in 2007 and joined the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Eagles won 84 of their first 85 conference home games.
Smesko won 20 or more games each season at FGCU and compiled seven 30-win seasons. During its 23 years of existence, FGCU was the winningest Division I program with a winning percentage of .845, won 14 Atlantic Sun Conference regular season titles with seven undefeated seasons in the league , won 11 Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championships and appeared in 10 NCAA tournaments. appearances and won four NCAA Tournament games.
“Coach Smesko’s legacy at FGCU isn’t just about winning games,” FGCU President Aysegul Timur said in a press release. “It’s about the students and employees he has mentored along the way, providing them with opportunities for growth and success on and off the field. Now it’s his turn to soar , and we are very proud of him.”
Three of FGCU’s NCAA Tournament victories came as a No. 12 seed: against Missouri in 2018, Virginia Tech in 2022 and Washington State in 2023. The Eagles’ 2014-15 team was ranked 21st in the AP poll.
FGCU has led the nation in 3-pointers per game five of the last seven seasons. FGCU broke the NCAA record for most 3s in a single season with 431 in 2017-18.
“There is joy and sadness with the departure of Karl Smesko,” FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis said in a news release. “As the founding head coach of our women’s basketball program, Karl led this team to national prominence. He orchestrated the rise from a start-up to a destination program. I am excited for Karl and grateful for his contributions to this department and this university. We look forward to seeing what lies ahead and the impact he will make in his next role in the WNBA.”
Smesko is a 13-time Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year and has coached 10 ASUN Player of the Year award winners. Smesko also developed two WNBA draft picks at FGCU, including Canton McKinley graduate Kierstan Bell, the 11th overall pick of the Las Vegas Aces in 2022. Bell is now a two-time WNBA champion with the Aces .
“I am humbled and honored to be the head coach of the Atlanta Dream,” Smesko said in a press release. “I am grateful for these remarkable 23 years at FGCU and will be forever indebted to the extraordinary women who played for me, the incredible professionals who coached with me and the passionate fans who supported us along our journey. I am grateful to the Atlanta Dream leadership for their confidence in me to lead this organization into the future and can’t wait to get started.”
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at [email protected].
This article was originally published in the Akron Beacon Journal: Revere graduate Karl Smesko hired to coach Atlanta Dream in WNBA
