Michael Scruggs is set to begin his third season as an assistant coach with the Loyola University Chicago women's basketball program. Scruggs previously served as an assistant coach at Cleveland State during the 2015-16 campaign.
"One of Michael's best assets is the diversity in his basketball experiences," Loyola head women's basketball coach Kate Achter said. "Like any student of the game, he is very passionate about what he has learned and is eager to share that with our student-athletes. Michael's knowledge and experience will drastically impact our player development. I am excited to have him around, as I know he will be constantly pushing our staff to grow professionally."
During Scruggs' season in Northeast Ohio, Ashanti Abshaw was named the Horizon League's Freshman of the Year, while Brooke Smith earned All-Defensive Team honors. Scruggs joined Cleveland State following a successful three-year stint at LSU where he served as the team's Director of Video Operations before being tabbed an interim assistant coach for the 2014-15 season. LSU made a pair of appearances in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament while Scruggs was on staff.
Before arriving in Baton Rouge, La., Scruggs was an assistant coach at Samford University for the 2011-12 season. The Knoxville, Tenn. product helped lead the Bulldogs to their second straight Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament crown en route to appearing in the NCAA Tournament. Scruggs got his start in the collegiate coaching ranks at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, serving as a graduate assistant for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. In 2010, the Mocs captured the SoCon Tournament title and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"I am so excited for this next step in my coaching career, and for the chance to broaden my coaching experience with the Loyola women's basketball program," Scruggs commented. "Coaching has been a passion of mine for a long time, and I can't wait to share that with the other members of the coaching staff and our student-athletes. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that Coach Achter has given me."
Scruggs earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management from the University of Tennessee in 2008 and his Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2011.
