Mercer University named veteran NCAA Division I coach Susie Gardner as the school’s 10th women’s basketball head coach on June 24, 2010.

In her first year at Mercer, Gardner faced what she describes as her greatest coaching challenge in 15 years of the profession.  Her first team at Mercer was the third-youngest team in Division I basketball – the 12-player roster featured a combined seven years of collegiate playing experience prior to the season.

That season, Mercer finished 2-27 – a tally that doesn’t represent the growth the team experienced under Gardner’s direction.  The 2010-11 team suffered numerous heartbreaking losses, dropping nine games by six points or less.

The season did produced several bright spots, as freshman Briana Williams landed Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Atlantic Sun team and A-Sun All-Freshman Team honors.  Freshman guard Sharnea Boykin led the conference in both minutes played and assists and sophomore Alex Phillips increased her scoring average from 1.8 to 7.5 points per game.

The 2010-11 season also provided Gardner the opportunity to begin recruiting her own players and truly build a Mercer team with her stamp on it.  The 2011-12 season will see eight of Gardner’s recruits make their Division I collegiate debuts with Mercer.

Before arriving at Mercer, Gardner spent the three campaigns (2007-10) as an assistant coach at the University of Florida. She joined the Gators after four seasons (2003-07) as the head coach at the University of Arkansas to give her the past seven seasons as a coach in the Southeastern Conference, regarded by many as the toughest college women’s basketball league in the nation.

At Florida, the 2009 Gators advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament with Gardner on staff.  Likewise, UF sandwiched that with WNIT appearances in 2008 and 2010 (advancing to the round of 16 during Gardner’s first year and to the second round last season).

With Gardner at the Razorbacks’ helm in 2004-05, Arkansas earned a trip to the WNIT tournament. Prior to that, she had the SEC “Player of the Year” in 2003-04. Arkansas was a combined 64-54 during Gardner’s tenure and her 2005-06 team raced out to the best SEC start in the Lady ‘Hogs program history.

Gardner cut her teeth as a Division I head coach at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where she had a highly-successful seven season run (1996-2003) and was 112-93. The Lady Govs accomplishments during that period included three Ohio Valley Conference tournament championships (2001, 2002 & 2003), and OVC regular season title (2003) and three NCAA post-season berths (2001, 2002 & 2003). Gardner was tabbed as the OVC “Coach of the Year” in 2003. She also produced the OVC “Player of the Year” in both 2003 and 2004, with her players also garnering the league’s “Freshman of the Year” awards twice (2000 and 2001).

From 1992-95, Gardner was the assistant coach at Western Athletic Conference power San Diego State University. In her three seasons with the Aztecs, she was a part of a program that won three-consecutive WAC tournament championships and, subsequently, also made three NCAA tourney appearances. SDSU was 69-20 with Gardner on staff and garnered two WAC regular season crowns in 1994 and 1995.

Gardner is no stranger to middle Georgia or the Southeast region, having spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia (1986-88) following a highly-successful four-year playing career for the Bulldogs under legendary head coach Andy Landers. UGA made the NCAA Final Four her last two years as a player – including a national runner-up finish in 1985 - and reached the NCAA tournament both of her years as a graduate assistant, as well. The Bulldogs won the SEC title in 1983, 1984 and 1986 as Gardner played alongside other noteworthy Georgia players like Teresa Edwards, Janet Harris and Katrina McClain.

Gardner was a member of the 1983 Sports Festival South Team which earned a gold medal. She was also a member of the USA’s Select Team which competed in Canada.

Gardner earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia in 1986, followed by a Master of Education degree in 1988.