MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Andy Sharpe was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at Southern Arkansas in a press conference April 9 in Foundation Hall in the Donald W. Reynolds Center on the university campus.

Sharpe, a Richmond Hill native and former point guard on the Richmond Hill High School basketball team, served the past five years as head coach at NAIA-affiliated Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn.

Sharpe brings eight years of coaching experience to the Muleriders, seven as a head coach in which he has compiled a career mark of 168-70 for a .706 win percentage.

During his tenure at Martin Methodist, Sharpe led the RedHawks to prominence on the national stage, with three trips to the NAIA national tournament, including each of the past two seasons.

His teams were 127-41 (.756) over the five-year period, claiming two TranSouth Conference regular season and tournament championships. Sharpe was named conference coach of the year for three seasons and received the Don Meyer Award in 2010-11 as the NAIA national coach of the year.

Sharpe’s team advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the national tournament this past season, finishing 28-7 and ranked fifth in the final NAIA poll.