Mercer University men’s basketball hired Doug Esleeck as an assistant coach in May 2010. Esleeck brings a great deal of experience and familiarity to the Mercer program. 

Since 2006, Esleeck had been an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C.  His progressively-responsible duties have included video editing, scouting, academic coordinator/advisor, and camps staffer to coordinator of recruiting, player development/conditioning, budget management and defensive coordinator. He was also on staff when G-WU knocked off then No. 20 ranked Kentucky during the 2007-08 season.

As Gardner-Webb’s recruiting coordinator in 2009-10, Esleeck brought in three players ranked among ESPN’s top 150 players. Player’s signed by the Runnin’ Bulldogs under Esleeck’s tenure included 2007-08 A-Sun “Player of the Year” Thomas Sanders, A-Sun “All-Freshman selection Nate Blank, ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Aaron Linn and Big South Conference All-Freshman player Joshua Henley (who was also the nation’s top freshman rebounder in 2008-09).

Prior to joining the G-WU staff, Esleeck was the director of men’s basketball operations at UNC-Greensboro (2005-06) and served as both a strength and conditioning intern (2004-05) and a junior varsity coach (2003-04) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  His coaching roots at the high school level and as a camp coach/clinician date back to 2001.

Esleeck’s addition to the Bears’ staff also marked his return to the Atlantic Sun Conference, of which G-WU was a member until the 2008-09 season when the school moved over to the Big South Conference. MU is a charter member of the A-Sun.

Esleeck earned his bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2005, with a double major in business administration and American history.  He also holds an MBA from Gardner-Webb in business administration (May 2008).