Lonnie Bartley
Biographical Sketch
For the past 29 seasons, the Fort Valley State University Women’s Basketball Program has grown into one of the most accomplished and respected NCAA Division II basketball programs in the nation. That respect and level of achievement can be directly traced to the leadership of one single person: FVSU Lady Wildcats Head Coach Lonnie Bartley.
Now in his 29
th campaign, Bartley has turned FVSU Lady Wildcats Basketball into a household name. In addition to success on the court, many Lady Wildcats have prospered off the floor as well, excelling in the classroom and society. Under Bartley, almost every Lady Wildcat who has played four years at Fort Valley State has walked away with a diploma in hand.
Bartley's association with the athletic arena has been long and prosperous. He began his career at Troup County High School in LaGrange, Georgia. While at Troup County, Bartley lettered in three sports. After an outstanding prep career, Bartley then enrolled at Fort Valley State. Soon after his arrival, he got involved with the women's basketball program as a scorekeeper. However, his knowledge of the game so impressed then head coach Jessie Brown that she elevated him to the post of student assistant, a position he held until graduation. While working on his graduate degree, Bartley was promoted to full time assistant coach.
In 1984, Coach Brown stepped down from her coaching duties, and Bartley immediately grabbed the reigns of the program. Utilizing the skills honed as an assistant coach, Bartley quickly fielded a competitive squad. That rookie season would be the only sub .500 campaign Bartley would notch as his first team finished 11-15. Since then, Bartley has reeled off 27 consecutive winning seasons, and has qualified for the SIAC Tournament each time. The 2005-06 edition of the Lady Wildcats produced a banner season for Bartley. That team set the record for most wins (28), consecutive wins (23) and the most SIAC wins (20) in a single year. Fort Valley State finished the season with a 28-3 record, surpassing the mark of 27-3 set by the 1992-93 team. During the 2006-07 season, Bartley reached a coveted milestone, 500 career victories. Presently, his record stands at 632-224, a mark that ranks him among the elite in NCAA Division II in total victories and winning percentage. He also has the most wins among active coaches in HBCU women’s basketball.
He was named "College Coach of the Year" by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), "Georgia Division II Coach of the Year" by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club, "College Coach of the Year" by BCSIDA, and SIAC "Coach of the Year" ten times. Bartley has been featured in several news articles, and has appeared on the cover of "Coaching Women's Basketball", a publication distributed by the WBCA. This past season, he was named Coach of the Year of the NCAA Division II South Region.
Widely regarded as one of the nation’s best recruiters, NCAA record holders such as Cynthia Bridges, Jackie Givens, Kim Oates, Natoshia Williams, and more recently Sherika Tarpkins, etched their names into the NCAA records while matriculating at Fort Valley State University.
The Lonnie Bartley File
“Where He Ranks”
Now in his 28
th year at Fort Valley State University, on the night of December 17, 2011, Coach Bartley reached another milestone in his illustrious career when his Lady Wildcats defeated the University of West Georgia. The marked his 600
th career victory and continues to solidify Bartley’s position as one of America’s best college basketball coaches. At the end of the 2010-11 season he was ranked by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as follows:
NCAA All Divisions 48th Winningest Coach All-Time By Percentage
38
th Winningest Coach All-Time By Victories
43rd Winningest Active Coach By Percentage
24
th Winningest Active Coach By Victories
NCAA Division II 15th Winningest Coacl All-Time By Percentage
8
th Winningest Coach All-Time By Victories
8th Winningest Active Coach By Percentage
5
th Winningest Active Coach By Victories
4th in Most 20-Win Season (20)
He has also achieved the following: 10 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championships
Teams have advanced to NCAA Playoffs Round of “Sweet Sixteen” Twice
18 NCAA Playoff Appearances
The Lonnie Bartley File
“The Record”
YEAR OVERALL REC. SIAC REC. PCT. 1984-85 11-15 7-8 .423
1985-86 16-11 8-6 .592
1986-87 17-9 7-5 .653
1987-88 25-4 15-1 .862 SIAC Champs
1988-89 15-13 8-4 .535
1989-90 15-14 10-8 .517
1990-91 16-12 7-7 .571
1991-92 21-9 12-2 .700 SIAC Champs
1992-93 27-3 12-1 .900 SIAC Champs
1993-94 22-7 11-2 .733
1994-95 25-5 9-4 .833 SIAC Champs
1995-96 25-4 14-1 .866
1996-97 25-6 13-2 .806
1997-98 21-6 11-3 .785
1998-99 27-4 15-0 .870
1999-2000 24-6 14-1 .800 SIAC Champs
2000-2001 24-6 16-2 .800 SIAC Champs
2001-2002 24-9 15-4 .727 SIAC Champs
2002-2003 27-4 17-2 .870 SIAC Champs
2003-2004 24-7 17-5 .744
2004-2005 22-10 19-5 .687
2005-2006 28-3 24-1 .903
2006-2007 21-9 18-6 .700
2007-2008 18-10 17-6 .642
2008-2009 26-5 25-0 .838 SIAC Champs
2009-2010 26-3 21-2 .896
2010-2011 22-10 20-5 .688 SIAC Champs
2011-2012 23-7 N/A .767
2012-2013 15-13 N/A .536
TOTALS 632-224 .738 10 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Championships: 1988, ’92, ’93, ’95, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03 ’09. ’11) 18 NCAA Playoff Appearances: 1982, ’88, ’92, ’93, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’09, ’10, ’11)
