FGCU didn’t have to look far to find its successor to head girls basketball coach Karl Smešek.
On the same day that Smesko left for the Atlanta Dream after 23 seasons, the school announced longtime assistant Chelsea Lyles as the Eagles’ second head coach in program history.
«It is with great excitement that I announce Chelsea Lyles as the second head coach of the FGCU women’s basketball program,» FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis said in a release. «Chelsea has shown an unwavering commitment to FGCU and the women’s basketball program over the past 16 years. She is ready to lead the Eagles in the next chapter of our women’s basketball program and I am excited for our female student-athletes to learn from Coach Lyles’ leadership.»
Lyles, 36, spent the last 17 years at FGCU, the first two as a player for Smeska. She began her coaching career as a student assistant in 2010-11 before becoming a full-time assistant the following season. She has been the assistant head coach for the Eagles for the past six years. She will officiate her first game as a head coach on Sunday when the Eagles host NJIT at Alico Arena.
Lyles played at FGCU from 2008 to 2010 before the Eagles became a full Division I member in 2011 to 2012. She started 60 of 62 games for FGCU, averaging 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, she earned first-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors both seasons. During her playing career, the Eagles went 50-12, won the ASUN regular season championship and earned back-to-back WNIT bids.
She graduated from FGCU in 2010 with a BA in Communication.
«Chelsea will do an outstanding job,» Smeško wrote in the message. «No one could be more ready for this opportunity.»
With a lot of uncertainty every season about whether Smesko will leave the Eagles, Lyles has been waiting a long time for a coach should Smesko leave. It’s a plan put together by former FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh, who left the position in January, and one new athletic director Colin Hargis has carried out as she becomes the second head coach in program history.
«She’s ready,» Kavanagh said. «We’ve had it going. When I was still there with Dr. (Mike) Martin, we thought we were going to lose Karl two or three times in the last couple of years and we had those conversations with Chelsea. I’m glad Colin made it with her, but I think it was an easy fix when I was still there with what this program is, from her being an actress, starting her career at the lowest level and working her way up to the point where in the past few years turned down many jobs to stay at her school and institution and I’m really excited about Chelsea, as is Karl and everyone else.
«Karl is so progressive that he came into my office one time during the Covid period and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, we’re planning a non-Division I game tonight. Chelsea are training tonight.’ I said OK. That’s interesting. He said, «Well, I understand, but it’s more important if I’m going to have to be a coach all of a sudden, and I’d rather get the players used to her in that role. He’s done it every year since then… Not many people think she’ll become a head coach on Sunday because she’s done it in recent years. Credit to Karl and I think that’s something that I hope will make the transition even easier.»
News-Press sports reporter Dan DeLuca contributed to this report
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