DeAntoine “Cat” Beasley is in his third season as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University with the men’s basketball program, where he has helped the Runnin’ Bulldogs develop into Big South Conference contenders.
He has helped Gardner-Webb to a finish of .500 or better in each of his seasons with the program. The ‘Dogs posted 19 wins overall and won 11 games in the Big South for only the second time since joining the league in 2008-2009. GWU was the lone program to earn three All-Big South selections and forged the program’s highest GPA in nine seasons.
Beasley and the ‘Dogs posted their fourth-straight winning campaign in 2015-2016, which saw Gardner-Webb advance to the semifinals of the Big South Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. Forward Tyrell Nelson earned All-Big South Conference honors and was one of the most dominant players in the league tournament – averaging 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in three games.
Beasley’s first season with the Runnin’ Bulldogs in 2014-2015 saw GWU post the program’s second 20-win season in three years while finishing with a 10-8 record in Big South play. Gardner-Webb notched a pair of landmark victories, including the program’s first-ever win over an ACC opponent with a 72-70 victory over Clemson at the Paradise Jam, as well as an 89-84 come-from-behind win over Big Ten opponent and NCAA Tournament team Purdue.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs would advance to the semifinal round of the Big South Tournament as the seventh seed, upsetting second-seeded High Point, 72-71, in overtime in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual tournament champion Coastal Carolina. Gardner-Webb made its second appearance in a postseason tournament several days later, accepting a bid to the Collegiate Basketball Invitational and taking on the University of Colorado - Boulder in the first round.
Three Runnin’ Bulldogs earned postseason honors in 2014-2015, as Hill earned a spot on the Big South All-Conference First Team and senior Tyler Strange was named to the Second Team. Nelson was selected to the Big South All-Academic Team, while both he and Hill were named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association’s University Division All-State Team.
Beasley spent the 2013-2014 season as an assistant at Pensacola State (Fla.) College, where he helped the Pirates to a 21-11 overall record in the junior college ranks and the program’s 15th Panhandle Conference title.
Beasley has a wealth of Division I coaching experience under his belt, having served for two seasons as an assistant coach at Chattanooga from 2011-2013 under Coach John Shulman. Beasley also coached one season at his alma mater, Tennessee Tech, under Coach Mike Sutton.
The Atlanta, Ga., native is familiar with Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft, who he worked with as a graduate manager at Auburn in 2009-2010.
Beasley joined the Auburn staff after playing seven seasons professionally in England – and also launched his coaching career internationally, coaching at the University of St. Mark and St. John from 2003-2005. His coaching was rewarded with national titles in 2003 and 2004.
Beasley was a perennial all-star during his playing career in England and was MVP in the National Trophy race in 2004. He also won the 2004 BBC Sports Personality Award for the Southwest Region.
As a player in the college ranks, Beasley played in 120 games for the Golden Eagles at Tennessee Tech – averaging a career-high 8.5 points per game as a junior. His biggest victory came off the court, as he overcame a Hodgkin’s Disease diagnosis midway through his sophomore season.
The former South Cobb (Ga.) High standout completed his sophomore season before starting treatment for the disease, redshirted the next season and returned for his junior season in 2000-2001.
Beasley helped the Golden Eagles to OVC titles in 2001 and 2002, with the 2002 squad going a strong 27-7 and winning three NIT games – over Georgia State, Dayton and Yale – before falling to John Calipari and eventual NIT champion Memphis in the quarterfinals by just six points.
Beasley was honored as the Sam Harley Lynn Award recipient in 1999 and earned the Golden Eagle Award for sacrifice, dedication and hard work in 2001-02. He also won the John P. Hendrix Leadership Award as a junior and senior while serving as the Golden Eagles’ team captain.
Beasley is the only student-athlete in Tennessee Tech history to win all three awards. He graduated from the Cookeville, Tenn., school with a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education in 2004.
Beasley and his wife, the former Katie Hespe of Sheffield, England, were married on August 11, 2011.
