South Georgia State College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Cory Baldwin has been selected by the National Junior College Athletic Association as the Southeast District Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season.
This is the third time Baldwin has received the NJCAA honor. He has also been named Coach of the Year by the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association and is a two-time recipient of the Georgia Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year award.
“Winning Coach of the Year means your team won,” Baldwin said of the honor. “So, I really look at it as more of a team award and one that this (year’s) team earned. This award also means you have an awesome support staff. From my assistant coaches DJ (Hardy), Donnie (Arrington) and Ben (Limbaugh) to all the game day support staff – Mr. Jimmy (Lamb), Ms. Lynn (Crews), Ms. Ellen (Dyal), and all of the workers at the scorer’s table. Each of them helped this team so much during this successful season. My wife and kids have also had a part in this award. Having a husband and dad as a head coach means every day is game day for my family.”
Baldwin has compiled a total of 357 wins in a 17-year career as a NJCAA head coach, which began at Truett-McConnell University. He was hired in 2009 by the former Waycross College to begin a men’s basketball program, which became South Georgia State College. He has won a total of 304 games during his 14-year tenure at SGSC.
The Hawks captured their third GCAA Conference Tournament Championship earlier this month and earned an automatic berth into the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.