Antwain Scales named new women’s basketball coach at GCCC

(Courtesy of Garden City Community College Athletics)

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-Before their search ever started, Garden City Community College Director of Athletics, Greg McVey, envisioned a splash hire, one that would turn the Broncbuster women into contenders and a community pillar.

That search promptly ended on Saturday morning as the athletics department announced the hiring of former Colby head man Antwain Scales as the new Women’s Basketball Coach at Garden City.

“One thing that stood out with Antwain was his commitment to student success,” McVey said. “We know he’s a winner; that’s proven. But he’s won in the classroom as well as in the community. That’s what Garden City is all about.”

Scales’ resume is impressive to say the least. He spent seven illustrious seasons as the Head Girls Coach at Wichita South High School. There, he turned a program that had won just two games in three seasons prior to his arrival, into an absolute juggernaut. He compiled a record of 152-18 (.894) while leading the Titans to four straight 6A state championships-becoming the first program in history to accomplish that feat. During that stretch, Wichita South won 53 straight games before that streak ended in the 2017 state quarterfinals with a loss to Wichita West.

“Garden City is one of those upper-echelon programs in the Jayhawk Conference,” Scales said. “They have the ingredients and the resources to win in so many different areas. Garden City is a great situation, and I know I can recruit Western Kansas.”

Much to the surprise of many, Scales left Wichita South following the 2017 campaign to take the reigns at Colby. The Trojans finished 5-26 in 2017-2018 and won only three games the year before that. They lost 23 straight contests in 2016-2017 while dropping 27 straight conference games.

“College and high school are two totally different animals,” Scales said in 2018.

In his first season, Colby finished 8-22. But in year two, the Trojans turned a major corner, winning 19 games while posting a winning record for the first time since 2006. They began the year 11-1, their best start since 2003-2004 under Tom Stephens.

“We feel that Antwain is the right guy to lead our young ladies on the floor, in the classroom and in the community,” McVey said.

Scales replaces Interim Head Coach, Mike Harding, who took over midseason for Omega Tandy, who resigned back in December.