Building for the future

Meet New Eagles Basketball Coach Mark Byington

Ever since Mark Byington was tapped for the Eagles head coaching position last April, he has been busy doing what he loves most — teaching.

“My favorite part of the day is practice and working with our players. There are times when I feel like I have to help guide them to become better men. I had coaches in my life who I really appreciate for helping me prepare for the challenges in life,” he said. “That is what I want to do. I want to make an impact on their lives; they might not always understand what I am doing, but I am doing what is in their best interest. I have to be a leader, I have to be a teacher, I have to be a communicator, and at the same time, I have to balance everything and do what’s best for our program.”

Hired to elevate the basketball program as it moves to the Sun Belt Conference, Byington’s day begins as early as 6 a.m. with a workout, followed by office duties and meeting with staff to check on players’ academics and other issues. He then watches video of the Eagles or their opponents, makes recruiting calls to high school coaches or parents and plans practices and team workouts.

In just a few months, he recruited five newcomers — two freshmen, a transfer student and two junior college transfers — to join the team of seven returning players. Byington is counting on such veterans as Jelani Hewitt out of Miramar, Fla., Marvin Baynham from Miami, Fla. and Tre Bussey of Lithia Springs, Ga. to assume leadership roles.

Following a season when Georgia Southern went 14-19 overall and 7-11 in the Southern Conference, the Eagles’ opening win against Columbia International is an exciting start to the season. In fact, Bussey and Hewitt both scored 20-plus points each in the 110-74 win.

The 100-point game was the first since November 2010, and the 102nd in program history.

Byington is optimistic about how things are going under his leadership and said his hopes for the season are “just for the team to get better every day, every game and prepare to win a championship.” He expects the move to the Sun Belt to be great for the team and fans alike adding, “It gets us in different parts of the country. It’s a higher level of basketball, with greater competition and challenges.”

“I want this group to be a great building block for what we’re trying to do here in the future,” said Byington. “A lot of these guys are in new roles, and I’m anxious to see how good some of them will be with the increased responsibility as the season progresses.”

Byington firmly believes his team is heading in the right direction, pointing to two key areas showing improvement – skills and academics. He encourages players to not only compete on the court, but also in the classroom. This past spring, players posted the highest GPA for a semester in nearly 15 years.

Raised in Salem, Va., Byington was a star player in high school and a three-year starter on the men’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Last season the former shooting guard was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. Before that, he spent seven seasons at the College of Charleston as an assistant under Bobby Cremins, the former Georgia Tech head coach. “Once I was finished playing college basketball, I really missed being around the team, the competition and just the everyday highs and lows of trying to build something and trying to win championships. From that point forward, I wanted to get back in basketball,” he said.

A passionate coach, Byington encourages alumni and fans to “get behind us early and watch this thing grow. I don’t know if I’m a player’s coach or an old-school coach, probably a mix in between, but when it comes to game time, it’s about the players and not me.”

“I am fortunate to be at Georgia Southern. I know I am blessed to have this situation. Am I living a dream? I definitely could say that.” – Sandra Bennett