Former Gamecock lands head coaching job with Midlands program that’s on the rise
Another former South Carolina standout is getting a shot as a high school head coach.
Former Gamecock Brandon Wallace will be the next girls basketball coach at Gray Collegiate, The State has learned. Wallace will be introduced at a news conference Monday.
This will be Wallace’s first head coaching opportunity. He replaces former USC standout Ashley Bruner, who left after one season to pursue other opportunities.
Wallace acted as interim coach for the program for the summer and led to a more permanent role.
“I wasn’t in a rush to become a head coach,” Wallace said. “A lot of times with these things is about being a great fit. When they came to me this summer, the girls needed a coach for the summer. Initially, I was just standing in and didn’t know where it would take me. .... I have been around basketball my whole life. My dad was a coach so this is the next step.”
Richard Wallace, Brandon’s dad, coached for more than 30 years at Glen Hills in Augusta, Ga. Brandon’s mom also played basketball at Georgia Southern.
Wallace becomes the latest former Gamecock to get a head coaching position across the state. Asia Dozier led Cardinal Newman to three straight SCISA Class 3A girls championships before leaving in the spring to take a job at Buffalo University. Brionna Dickerson Zimmerman is in her third season with the Heathwood Hall girls program. Carlos Powell, Wallace’s teammate at USC, led Wilson High to the Class 4A boys championship this year.
Wallace has been a full-time assistant coach under Dion Bethea for the Gray Collegiate boys team since the 2019-20 season. He has been part of three War Eagles’ state championship teams. It was Bethea, who coached Wallace on the AAU level, that encouraged him to give coaching a try after his professional career ended.
“After I finished playing professionally in 2014, I tried to get as far from basketball as I could,” Wallace said. “Coach Dion brought me back to basketball. Prior to that. I didn’t know I wanted to be a coach. ... It was something I tried to get away from but I didn’t find much happiness out there.”
Bethea said Wallace is ready to be a head coach.
“He puts a lot of hard work into the craft,” Bethea said. “It is already in his blood with his dad being a coach. I think he is going to do a great job with those kids and they are going to play hard for him.”
Wallace was the 2003 S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year at Silver Bluff High School before signing to play for Dave Odom and South Carolina. He was a part of the Gamecocks’ back-to-back NIT championships in 2005-06.
The 6-foot-10 Wallace was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks, appearing in 135 games and averaging 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for his career.
Wallace’s 250 career block shots rank second in Gamecocks’ history.
After college, Wallace signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics but was released. He spent six seasons playing in the NBA G-League and overseas before retiring.
Gray Collegiate went 16-7 and won the Region 3-2A championship last season. The War Eagles advanced to the third round of the playoffs before losing to Christ Church. Gray will return a majority of the team back for next season.
Wallace was one of two coaches Gray introduced on Monday. Penny Pegler was named the War Eagles’ volleyball coach. Pegler has been an assistant with the program. Gray won the region title last season and advanced to the second round of the 2A playoffs.
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Former Gamecock lands head coaching job with Midlands program that’s on the rise."
