In three years as head coach at Bethune-Cookman College, Horace Broadnax (C ’86) transformed the men’s basketball program from a 1-26 laughingstock to the top team in the id-Eastern Athletic Conference. Now, Savannah State University wants him to do it again.

The Tigers, after suffering through a morbid 0-28 season, announced the hiring of Broadnax as the head coach of their men’s basketball team last Friday. Savannah State’s 2004-05 season marks only the second winless year by a Division I team since 1954-55.

Broadnax, a 41-year-old practicing attorney from Orlando, Fla., was selected over three other interviewed finalists: former Wyoming coach Joby Wright, former New Mexico State assistant coach Chris Crutchfield and Georgia State assistant coach Doug Durham. Seventy-nine candidates in all applied to replace fired head coach Edward Daniels.

“Coach Broadnax has a deep passion for coaching student-athletes and has demonstrated twice in his career that he can revitalize challenged basketball programs,” Savannah State Athletics Director Tony O’Neal said in his announcement. “We believe our students have the athletic ability, and I am confident that Coach Broadnax can nurture the talent and ability of our players to help them be successful in the classroom and on the court.”

The first challenged program to which O’Neal refers is that of Valencia Community College in Orlando. Before his hiring at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla., Broadnax coached at Valencia for two years and led the program to its first-ever 20-win season. He would head the Bethune-Cookman team for five years before retiring in 2002 for family reasons.

“I am extremely humbled and grateful for the opportunity to return to coaching,” Broadnax said at the announcement. “The timing was right for me, and I am pleased that I get to work with Mr. O’Neal again, because the people are sometimes more important than the resources available to a program. I look forward to working hard and having fun.”

In his four seasons with Georgetown, Broadnax averaged 5.8 points over the course of 134 games. The 6-foot guard also racked up 243 rebounds, 101 steals and 774 points.

O’Neal was formerly assistant athletic director for compliance and student support services at Bethune-Cookman.