Wallace State welcomed John Meeks as its new men's basketball head coach in late July. Meeks replaces Allen Sharpe, who accepted the head coaching position at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in May.

Meeks has assembled lofty credentials during a young coaching career. He comes to Hanceville from Louisburg College in North Carolina where he compiled a 51-15 record in three seasons.

During the 2009-10 season, Meeks guided the Hurricanes to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Basketball Championship Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Louisburg notched the school's first victory in the tournament under Meeks and finished in the final eight, leading to Meeks being selected as the 2010 NJCAA District 15 Coach of the Year.

Meeks coached at NAIA Lee University (Tenn.) as an assistant for four seasons before earning the head gig at Louisburg.

In his eight-year career, Meeks has coached six NAIA All-Americans, 10 All-Conference players, four conference MVPs, one defensive player of the year and two All-Region performers.

Meeks' essential tools to achieve greatness on and off the court include: selfishness, loyalty, sacrifice, motivation, effort, discipline, enthusiasm, pride and confidence.

Meeks inherits a Wallace State program which also made history during the 2009-10 season, advancing to its first ever NJCAA Tournament and finishing as the fifth-best team in the nation.

The Lions compiled a 32-5 record, won their first Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) state title and continued to roll as one of the top junior college programs in the country under Sharpe and assistant Joseph Simmons.

Sharpe changed the face of the program in a mere five seasons, compiling a 136-30 record with the Lions. During the 2009-10 season, Sharpe helped Wallace State tie a school record for wins (32), he picked up his 200th career win and was named the North's ACCC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career (2007, 2008, 2010).

Wallace State had multiple individuals receive honors during the 2009-10 run to the NJCAA National Championship.

Sophomore guard L.A. Farmer was named a NJCAA First-Team All-American, was a member of the NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament Team, a Region XXII First-Team selection and Co-MVP of the ACCC Tournament.

Darrick Thomas was a NJCAA Preseason Second-Team All-American, a member of the ACCC All-Tournament Team and a First-Team All-North member, Gaither Hendrix was a NJCAA Preseason Third-Team All-American, Ricardo Hall was ACCC Tournament Co-MVP and Second-Team All-North and Sergio Crowe was a ACCC All-Tournament selection and a First-Team All-North member. 

During the 2008-09 season, Wallace State finished 28-5 and was eliminated in the championship game of the ACCC Tournament.

The previous year, Wallace State finished the season with a 32-1 record and a #1 ranking in the final regular-season NJCAA poll. Sharpe guided the Lions to an undefeated conference record at 16-0, and the team made a trip to the Region XXII ACCC Championship game. The 30-0 regular season record was the first undefeated season in school history, and the 32 wins were the most ever in a season at the time. All five starters from that team signed Division I scholarships to continue their education and playing careers.

For more information about the Wallace State basketball program, contact Coach John Meeks at 256-352-8365 or at John.Meeks@wallacestate.edu.