2016 NCCA East-West All-Star Basketball Coaches
Men’s Basketball
East Team:
Ike Walker
East head coach is entering his 17th season at Jack Britt High where he has compiled a career record of 258-185…his teams have won 3 regular season conference titles and 4 conference tournament titles and made 12 state playoff appearances in 16 seasons where his teams have won 4 sectional titles and played in 3 east regional championship games…three times named Conference Coach of the Year…named 2008 NCBCA District IV Coach of the Year…previously served as an assistant coach at Douglas Byrd High…born in Fayetteville, NC…1984 graduate of Reid Ross High where he played basketball, earning team MVP and All-Conference honors and was named to the Fayetteville Sports Club All City/County Team in 1984…signed a basketball scholarship to attend South Carolina State University where he was the recipient of the 1987 S.C. State Sportsmanship Award…was a member of former N.C. A&T men’s coach Cy Alexander’s first team at S.C. State…graduated in 1988…says “I would like to thank the board of directors for selecting me as a coach in this event. It is an honor, and I am appreciative of the recognition. I would like to thank my wife Gretchen Maria and my family for their unwavering support of my coaching career. I’ve enjoyed all the student athletes I’ve been blessed to work with. A very special thanks goes to all the players I’ve coached from Douglas Byrd High and Jack Britt High over the last 21 years.”
Doug Erny
East assistant coach is entering his 4th season at Jacksonville High where he has gone 58-21 in 3 seasons…has compiled a career record of 467-221 in 28 seasons…his teams have won 9 regular season conference titles and made 26 state playoff appearances…five times named Conference Coach of the Year…4 times named Area Coach of the Year…2015 Lejeune High School Hall of Distinction inductee…previously coached at Lejeune High where he served as the men’s basketball coach (23 years), baseball coach (5 years), and assistant football coach (12 years)…also named Coastal Plains 1A Baseball Coach of the Year…born in Jacksonville, NC…1983 graduate of Jacksonville High were he played basketball and was named All-Conference in baseball…1987 graduate of East Carolina University…says “I think it is a tremendous honor to be selected to coach in the East-West game. I look forward to working with the coaches, players, and everybody associated with the All-Star games.”
West Team
James Cleaveland
West head coach is entering his 10th season at Smoky Mountain High where he has gone 243-38 in 10 seasons…has compiled a career record of 369-68 and his teams have won 11 conference regular season titles, 9 conference tournament titles and made 15 state playoff appearances, including 1 state championship, in 16 seasons…10 times named Conference Coach of the Year and twice named NCBCA Coach of the Year…named 2004-2005 AP State Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year…served as the head coach of the 2006 Blue/White game…previously served as an assistant and then head basketball coach and as a football assistant coach at Pisgah High and as JV women’s and JV men’s basketball coach and JV and varsity assistant football coach at Brevard High…born in Gallop, New Mexico…1985 graduate of Sylva Webster High where he played basketball and was named All-Conference and DB of the Year in football…1990 graduate of Western Carolina University…says “I feel this is a tremendous honor, and I am very humbled to be included in the fraternity of coaches that have represented the state of NC in this endeavor. I am married to my wife Lisa, and we have two children, Anna (18) and Clay (13). My biggest supporters have been my late father, Ray Cleaveland, and my mother, Vivian Cleaveland. I have been fortunate to work under great coaches in basketball and football throughout my career, and they all have influenced me and been wonderful mentors to me.”
Ed Wills
West assistant coach is entering his 13th season at Alexander Central High where his teams have won 2 conference regular season title and have made 10 state playoff appearances in 12 years…4 times named Conference Coach of the Year…named NCBCA District Coach of the Year…previously served as the men’s and women’s cross country coach, twice being named USA South Conference Coach of the Year, at Ferrum College where he also coached basketball, first as an assistant and then as the head coach…prior to that, he served as an assistant basketball coach at Clark University…born in Bethel Vermont…1990 graduate of Whitcomb High (VT) where he played basketball and where he was named All-Conference and played for state championship teams in soccer and baseball…1994 graduate of UNC where he served as the manager for Coach Dean Smith and the UNC basketball team from 1990-1994, including as a member of the 1993 national championship team…says “It is a great honor to be selected to coach in the East-West All-Star game. I am excited to represent our program and community in this great event. I am looking forward to working with Coach Cleaveland and these terrific student athletes. We will work hard to provide them with a great lifetime memory and represent the western region in a way that we can all be proud of.”
Women’s Basketball
East Team
Rick Grantham
East head coach is entering his 3rd season at Rosewood High where he has compiled a career record of 73-10 and his teams have won 3 consecutive conference regular season titles with a record of 31-1…the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams reached the regional finals and the 2015-16 team reached the final eight…named 2013-2014 Goldsboro News-Argus Coach of the Year…also currently coaches men’s golf and middle school volleyball…previously coached football, volleyball, men’s basketball and softball at Rosewood Middle School and football, basketball, and softball at Norwayne Jr. High; at Roswood High he has coached Jr. High football, softball, Jr. High softball, JV baseball, varsity softball, varsity volleyball, varsity men’s basketball, men’s golf, and varsity women’s basketball…born in Goldsboro, NC…1982 graduate of Southern Wayne High where he played baseball…1987 graduate of Atlantic Christian College (Barton College)…says “Being asked to coach in the East-West All-Star game is incredible honor. Working with the players and coaches will be a lot of fun. All-Star games should be all about the kids, so my goal is to help them have the best experience possible. I would like to express my gratitude to the NCCA as well as the students, staff, and community of Rosewood.”
Lula Ratley
East assistant coach is entering her 11th season at South Robeson High School were she has gone 110-81 in 10 seasons….her teams have won 2 conference regular season titles,1 conference tournament title and made 10 state playoff appearances…twice named Conference Coach of the year and 3 times Robeson County Coach of the Year… winningest coach in South Robeson history….previously served as head coach at Laurinburg Institute Prep, Laurinburg NC (3 years), and as an assistant coach for 3 years at SRHS 1983-86…also previously served as the JV volleyball head coach and as the head coach for the women’s track team, the softball team, and the girls basketball team at Fairgrove Middle School for 14 years where she led her teams to 4 championships….born in Rowland NC, youngest of six siblings…..1975 graduate of Rowland High School where she competed in varsity basketball, softball, volleyball, and track and where she was named Best All Around Player in Basketball…1979 graduate of Saint Augustine’s University – played combo guard (CIAA champions’ 78)…earned BA degree in Elementary Education /Minor in PE…earned a Masters degree in Special Education from Grand Canyon University …says ” I am truly honored and blessed to have been selected to coach in this All- Star event. Being named assistant coach for the East Team with all the other outstanding coaches in the state of NC, I am so honored and grateful. I give praise and glory to God for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this prestigious event, Thanks to my wonderful husband, Oscar, my 2 children, Deneicia and Marcus, coaching staff, players, and everyone else for your support. I know this will be an experience I will never forget. TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS HE HAS DONE!”
West Team
Barbara Nelson
West head coach is entering her 5th season at Myers Park High where she has gone 110-10 in 4 seasons… has compiled a career record of 547-183 (101-50 collegiate) and her teams have won 4 conference regular season titles, 3 conference tournament titles, and made 4 state playoff appearances, including winning back-to-back 4A state championships in 2014 and 2015…finished the 2015 season ranked 7th nationally by USAToday…4 times named Conference Coach of the Year, twice named Charlotte Observer Coach of the Year…named 2015 NCBCA State Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year…served as USA Basketball U16 and U17 FIBA head coach, winning gold medals in FIBA Americas in 2010 and World Championship in 2011…named USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year in 2011…previously coached basketball, softball, and JV volleyball at Providence Day School, where she won 7 basketball titles and the 1995 state softball championship, and basketball at Wingate University where her team advanced to the Elite 8 in 2008…born in Clinton, SC…1981 graduate of Thornwell High (SC) where she competed in track and was twice named All-State and won a state championship in basketball and was twice named All-State and won a state championship in softball…1985 graduate of Presbyterian College where she played basketball all four years…says “I am honored and humbled that the committee has chosen to allow me to coach in the East-West All-Star game. I would like to thank my husband, Vernon, and children, Quinn and Haley, who have supported me during my 30 year career of teaching and coaching. They have shared my love for basketball and passion for young people.”
Terry Gossett
West assistant coach is entering his 19th season at Erwin High where he has gone 343-143 in 18 seasons…has compiled a career record of 394-173 and his teams have won 10 conference regular season titles, 6 conference tournament titles, and made 15 state playoff appearances, including 5 Regional appearances, in 21 seasons…4 times named Conference Coach of the Year…named 2015 Western North Carolina and District 12 Coach of the Year…previously served as head coach at Franklin High and East Henderson High…born in Asheville, NC…1978 graduate of Erwin High where he played basketball, baseball, and football…1983 graduate of Union University where he played baseball on a team that finished 3rd in the 1983 NAIA World Series, Lubbock, TX…earned Masters of Education from Western Carolina University in 1999…earned Ed.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in 2001…says “It is an honor to be selected to coach in the East-West game. There are so many outstanding coaches and players in North Carolina and this game recognizes some of the best.”