The Atlanta Dream managed to do what many other teams have tried over the years. They lured Karl Smesko away from Florida Gulf Coast.
Smesko was announced Wednesday as the new head coach of the Dream. He built FGCU into a perennial NCAA Tournament team and went 611-112 — an .845 winning percentage — in his 23 years as the school’s first and until now only coach.
At the women’s Division I level, only FGCU and UConn have won 25 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons.
“The W has intrigued me as a possibility for a long time,” Smekso said Wednesday. “When this opportunity came up, it really seemed like the right place and the right time. I had great conversations with the general manager and with their ownership and this is the right move for me right now.”
The Eagles have been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country. They knocked down 300 or more 3-pointers in 15 straight seasons, including setting the NCAA record with 431 in 2018.
That captured the attention of many bigger Division I schools, with some from power conferences — even some other WNBA teams — trying to hire Smesko in recent years. He never thought the time was right for a move, until now.
“Karl is a proven leader with a history of developing his…
