Friday Features: Hall of Famer Kuhns excited to be back at Valdosta State
By Mike Perrin
It’s exactly seven weeks till tipoff. It’s been only twice that long since Carley Kuhns was named the sixth women’s basketball head coach at Valdosta State, her alma mater.
“It has definitely been a whirlwind!” said Kuhns. “Moving with two young children is never easy, as well as trying to wrap my head around being a first-time head coach. Lucky for me, I have an amazing husband who took on the large majority of the moving process, and there was a fantastic staff in place here at VSU who have helped make the transition easier.”
Kuhns and her husband, Matt, are returning to Valdosta. Both were basketball Blazers, with the then Carley Peterson earning Kodak/State Farm WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors in 2008. Her 1,133 career points ranks 16th all-time at VSU and she was a two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection. Kuhns is atop the Blazers’ list in career 3-pointers with 262 and she is fifth all-time in the GSC. The Atlanta native was inducted into the Blazers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
At her introductory press conference, Kuhns said, “I told (Athletics Director Herb Reinhard) last week when I was meeting with him that the day Matt and I pulled out of Valdosta, I knew then that we would be back,” The Valdosta Times Daily reported. “I just had it in my gut. I knew that one day we would be back.”
Kuhns is replacing her former coach, Kiley Hill, who left for an assistant’s position at Division I Southern Mississippi. “Coach Hill supported and encouraged me in pursuing this position,” said Kuhns, who spent two years as a graduate assistant for Hill. “We didn’t spend a lot of time discussing the job, but he gave me his advice and support.
“I always knew I wanted to be a coach and an educator. I come from a family of educators, and it was just something I always knew I wanted to do. It wasn’t until during my senior year that I began to think about the idea of college coaching. I always loved the idea of being able to have the chance to come back and coach at the place I played, but I wasn’t sure it would ever happen. I am extremely grateful to be given this opportunity.”
Kuhns comes back to VSU from Belmont University in Nashville, where she was an assistant for the Bruins with responsibilities that included serving as the team’s academic coordinator and working with compliance, player development and recruiting.
“I have been away from Valdosta for six years now and have worked under two other head coaches since Coach Hill,” Kuhns said. “I feel I can pull ideas from a lot of different people. My biggest influence would probably be my most recent boss, Cameron Newbauer at Belmont. He definitely gave me a blueprint for success, and I learned a lot while working at Belmont.
“In terms of my philosophy, on the court I want to play up-tempo, have a team that can score in a lot of different ways. Off the floor, I want to have a family atmosphere where we enjoy spending time with one another and a team that gives back to the community that is helping to provide this opportunity for them.”
Kuhns’ hiring came too late for her to hit the recruiting trail for this season’s squad, but she likes what she has seen during her few weeks learning her squad. “I took the job at the point in the year where it would have been really hard to add to our roster. I decided to keep our roster where we were and spend my time really getting to know our ladies and evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. We return six from last year’s team, and Coach Hill had signed five new players.
“It is still a little early to say what my expectations are for this year, but I will say that I like my team! They are working extremely hard and have bought into my vision from Day One. As far as myself, I am not trying to set any expectations I have to live up to. I’m just trying to do my best every day to mentor these ladies and have fun. They pay me to coach basketball, which is a game, and I’m going to try and remember that and keep it in perspective. It is a game and is supposed to be fun!
“I have been very impressed with several of our players,” Kuhns said. “We have only been on the court for about three weeks, but I think some of the returners and newcomers are going to have the opportunity to be impact players. I believe when you don’t have one or two players carrying the load, it makes for a stronger team.”
With her young family – the Kuhns have two daughters, 3-year-old Carsten and 10-month-old Kyler – the new coach has a lot on her plate. “My husband is an elementary physical education teacher. He would like to coach basketball too, but with us having a family, he set his dreams aside so I could follow mine. It is definitely a challenge, trying to be the best mom and the best coach I can be, but luckily I’m surrounded by a great circle of friends and family who will be here if we need help.”
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