Mercer University athletics department officials announced March 22 that 26-year collegiate coaching veteran Michelle Clark-Heard has been named the women’s basketball program’s 11th head coach.
Clark-Heard makes the move to Middle Georgia after spending the 2023-24 season on the staff at Mississippi State. She has amassed a 252-147 record in 13 seasons as a head coach, including previous stops at Kentucky State, Western Kentucky and Cincinnati. She has led her teams to seven postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament berths. She also has two regular season conference championships and a quartet of conference tournament titles.
“Michelle Clark-Heard has already established herself as a coach that can build and maintain championship programs,” Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole said. “She has had tremendous success at every stop in her coaching career and has done so with great vigor and integrity. She possesses the work ethic, passion and character traits that will only translate to success as the leader of our women’s basketball program, and I could not be more excited to welcome her and her husband, Luther, to the Mercer family.”
On March 9, former Mercer women’s basketball head coach Susie Gardner announced her resignation to pursue other coaching opportunities.
Read more about the new coaching hire at mercerbears.com.
