One of Women’s Basketball’s Winningest Coaches, Smesko Brings a Dynamic New Style to the Atlanta Dream

ATLANTA (November 13, 2024) – The Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko as the team’s new Head Coach, the organization announced today.

With the third highest winning percentage (.843) among active coaches in NCAA Division I (DI) women’s basketball history (behind only Geno Auriemma and Kim Mulkey), Smesko brings over two decades of head coaching experience to the Atlanta Dream. His 672 total wins ranks eighth overall among active head coaches.

“Karl is a proven leader with a history of developing his players and creating a winning culture,” said General Manager Dan Padover. “His fast-paced, innovative style of play will be attractive to our players and fans alike. We are excited to have Karl bring his incredible basketball IQ to the Dream.”

Off the court, Smesko’s impact ripples throughout the basketball universe, particularly as it relates to developing coaches. Currently, 22 of his former players have entered the coaching ranks – including three on the current Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) staff – and three of his former assistant coaches are now head coaches at the collegiate level.

“This is an exciting moment for our fans, the city of Atlanta, and the entire Dream organization,” said Atlanta Dream Majority Owner, Larry Gottesdiener. “A great basketball mind is coming to our city. Karl’s passion for and commitment to women’s basketball bring out the best in everyone around him. I am confident we have found the right leader to take our organization to the next level.”

A native of Bath, Ohio, Smesko created and built the FGCU women’s basketball program from the ground up. During his 23 years as the Head Coach, Smesko’s teams have compiled a remarkable overall record of 611-110 (.8.47). His teams have won 14 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) regular season titles, 11 ASUN tournament championships, and progressed to the NCAA tournament 10 times. Smesko has led FGCU to 25-wins in 14 straight seasons, an accomplishment only matched by UConn.

“I am humbled and honored to be the head coach of the Atlanta Dream,” said Karl Smesko. “I am grateful for a remarkable 23 years at FGCU and will be forever indebted to the amazing women who have played for me, the incredible professionals who have coached with me, and the passionate fanbase who supported us along the way. I’m thankful to the leadership of the Atlanta Dream for their faith in me to lead this organization into the future and can’t wait to get started.”

The Atlanta Dream will host a press conference introducing Karl Smesko as the franchise’s new head coach, accompanied by General Manager Dan Padover, early next week with details to follow.

About the Atlanta Dream

Established in Atlanta in 2008, the Atlanta Dream is the Southeast’s only WNBA franchise, playing its home games at the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. Dream games are telecast locally on Peachtree TV and simulcast on Peachtree Sports Network across the state of Georgia. Since 2009, Dream teams have produced 11 WNBA All-Stars, achieved 3 first-place regular-season finishes, earned 9 playoff bids and made 3 WNBA finals appearances. For more information about the Dream, visit dream.wnba.com and follow @AtlantaDream on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

Karl Smesko

PERSONAL:

Smesko, a native of Bath, Ohio (born October 2, 1970)
Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kent State in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism
Completed his master’s degree in education from Walsh University in 1998
Inducted into the Revere High School Athletics Hall of Fame
His father, Al, is a former teacher who served as the head boys basketball coach at Revere High School in Richfield, Ohio from 1969-83
His brother, Kyle, is the quarterback’s coach for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s football program

COACHING CAREER (heading into 2024-2025 season):

Named the eighth coach in the history of the Atlanta Dream on Nov. 13, 2025
Prior to joining the Dream, he spent 26 seasons as a Head Coach at the collegiate level. When he left the college game, he was eighth overall in total wins 672-137 (.831) and third overall win percentage among all active DI women’s basketball head coaches, behind UConn’s Geno Auriemma (1,213-262, .882) and LSU’s Kim Mulkey (723-118, .860)

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)

2002-2024: Head Coach – 611-110 record (.847)

13x ASUN Coach of the Year (2009, 2011-2016, 2018-2023)

FGCU: NCAA Division II – Independent (2002-2007)

On May 2, 2001, Smesko accepted the head coaching position at FGCU, which didn’t have a women’s basketball program at the time
FGCU began their first season as an NCAA Division II (DII) independent in 2002-03 and he led the team to a 30-1 record in their first year
FGCU compiled a 132-21 record at the DII level (.863 winning percentage)
FGCU went to the NCAA DII Elite Eight in 2006 and Final Four in 2007, finishing as National Runner-up
FGCU earned the program’s first-ever ranking from the WBCA in December 2005 and were ranked in every poll over the rest of the DII era that ran through the end of the 2006-07 season
In that final DII year, the team earned its first No. 1 ranking in early February and spent the rest of the season atop the poll

FGCU: NCAA Division I – Atlantic Sun Conference (2008-2024)

FGCU transitioned to NCAA Division I in 2007 and joined the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN)
Since elevating to Division I in 2007, FGCU has compiled a 479-89 (.843) record, marking highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history, outpacing the next closest blue blood programs UConn (.799) and Tennessee (.798) Won 14 ASUN regular season titles

11 ASUN tournament championships
Progressed to postseason play in all 15 seasons (10 NCAA Tournament and 5 WNIT appearances)
14 straight 25-win seasons – an accomplishment only achieved by UConn and FGCU
Nine players named to either the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA) Scholar-Athlete team at least once or earn a D-I-AAA postgraduate scholarship
16 players named to the ASUN’s All-Academic team since its inception in 2011-12
7 players named ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year
22 of his former players are have entered the coaching ranks, including three who are head coaches at the collegiate level (Read more about the Smesko coaching tree here)

Purdue University Fort Wayne (formerly IPFW)

NCAA Division II (Great Lakes Valley Conference)

1999-2001: Head Coach – 32-22 record (.593)

At IPFW, he took over a two-win team and led them to a 11-win improvement (13-14) in year one
His second team won 19 games, still the fourth most in school history

University of Maryland

NCAA Division I (Atlantic Coast Conference)

1998-1999: Assistant Coach

Assistant Coach under Chris Weller where team finished with a 16-15 record

Walsh University

NCAA Division II (Independent)

1997-1998: Head Coach – 29-5 record (.853) – NAIA Division II National Champions

Began his head coaching career as a 27-year-old at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio
Walsh saw a 12-game improvement over the previous season
Walsh predicted to finish sixth in a nine-team Mid-Ohio Conference and was the 32nd, and final selection, into the NAIA tournament field
Defeated five nationally-ranked teams in six days to claim the national title
Mid-Ohio Conference Coach of the Year (1997)
NAIA Coach of the Year (1997)
Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame w/ Walsh team (2012)

COACHING RECORD: Season	Institution	Record	Postseason
1997–98	Walsh Univ.	29–5	NAIA DII National Champion
1999–00	IPFW	13–14
2000–01	IPFW	19–8
2002–03	FGCU	30–1
2003–04	FGCU	18–8
2004–05	FGCU	21–9
2005–06	FGCU	29–2	NCAA DII Elite Eight
2006–07	FGCU	34–1	NCAA DII Final Four, National Runner Up
2007–08	FGCU	22–9	WNIT Second Round
2008–09	FGCU	26–5	WNIT Second Round
2009–10	FGCU	24–7	WNIT First Round
2010-11	FGCU	28–4	WNIT Second Round
2011–12	FGCU	29–3	NCAA First round
2012–13	FGCU	27–7	WNIT First Round
2013–14	FGCU	26–8	NCAA First round
2014–15	FGCU	31–3	NCAA Second round
2015–16	FGCU	33–6	WNIT Runner Up
2016–17	FGCU	26–9	NCAA First Round
2017–18	FGCU	31–5	NCAA Second Round
2018–19	FGCU	28–5	NCAA First Round
2019–20	FGCU	30–3	Postseason not held due to COVID-19
2020–21	FGCU	26–3	NCAA First Round
2021–22	FGCU	30–3	NCAA Second Round
2022–23	FGCU	33–4	NCAA Second Round
2023–24	FGCU	29–4	NCAA First Round

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