COLLEGE TOWN, FL — Tallahassee State College has named Brett Rutherford as Director of Athletics and Trent Short as Head Men's Basketball Coach as the program looks to build on a 24-6 season.
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Tallahassee State College introduced Brett Rutherford as its new Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation and Trent Short as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach on Wednesday.
The hires come as Eagle Athletics is already seeing success, with the men's basketball team coming off a 24-6 season that included a 13-1 record at home and six wins over Top 10 opponents.
Dr. Sheri Rowland, TSC Vice President of Student Affairs and former Interim Director of Athletics, expressed confidence in both new hires.
"I believe you're going to be impressed by both of these individuals for their love of college athletics, and what I found out over the past few weeks, they're just great people to be around," Rowland said.
For Short, taking over a winning program is the realization of a lifelong goal.
"I've had a dream to be a college basketball head coach since I was a kid, and Dr. Rowland, along with Kyle, Chelsea, Brett, the rest of athletics, y'all made that dream a kid's dream come true," Short said.
Short said the program's existing resources and support were key factors in his decision to join TSC.
"It was important to me to go to a place that I could win at, and it really starts with administration that you have the resources and the people around in the community and at the school that are going to help you, you know, achieve that," Short said.
While Short begins a new chapter at TSC, Rutherford is returning to familiar ground. After previously serving in athletic communications and game operations with the Eagles, he left in 2023 and is now back to lead the entire athletics department.
"I've been gone for a few years, some things have changed a lot has stayed the same, and I've remained an Eagles fan from a far through those years," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said returning to Tallahassee feels natural.
"My first time back in town since I left in 2023, but now you know, being back here, it's a place that I love, and it doesn't feel like work when you show up here every day, get to work with our great coaches in our student athletes. Our goal here is every time you put on that TSC, we are representing a winning athletic department," Rutherford said.
Together, the two say their focus is building on what is already working while continuing to grow Eagle Athletics both on and off the court.
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