A coaching veteran in the state of South Carolina, Kevin Pederson (pronounced Peh-dur-son) was named the seventh women's basketball head coach in Coastal Carolina University history on April 12, 2022.
Pederson came to Coastal Carolina with more than 20-plus years of head coaching experience, 400-plus career wins, 15 trips to the NCAA postseason tournament, and administrative experience at the collegiate level.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin and his family to Teal Nation! Throughout this process, his qualifications, success, and references continued to impress, and his seasoned head coaching experience of nearly 450 wins and 21 seasons certainly stood out. We look forward to getting to work and writing the next chapter of Chanticleer women’s basketball,” stated Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation
Matt Hogue.
Most recently, Pederson led the Chants to their most successful season in five years by going 23-9 and 12-6 in Sun Belt Conference play in 2024-25. The season marked the third time in recent history that Coastal had won 20 or more games and ranked as the second-most wins in a season in program history. The Chants also reached the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals for the first time ever, while making their first appearance in the WNIT.
The 2024-25 squad set program-records for most points in a season with 2,379, most made three-pointers in a season with 240, and also led the Sun Belt Conference with 20.3 turnovers forced per game and +9.6 scoring margin.
Following the historic campaign, Savannah Brooks was named to the All-Sun Belt second team after leading the Chants with 13.1 points per game and ranking third in the conference with 2.3 steals per game.
Alancia Ramsey earned All-Sun Belt third team honors after averaging 12.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game in her sophomore season. Ramsey finished the season averaging 13.2 points per game in conference play.
The 2023-24 season saw the Chants finish 12-21 with a 5-13 conference record. Coastal advanced to the second round of the Sun Belt tournament after defeating South Alabama 79-60 in the first round.
In his first season in Conway, Pederson led the Chanticleers to a ninth-place finish in the conference, with a 14-16 overall and 9-9 conference record. His team was selected to finish 12th in the preseason polls and defeated the conference's top teams in JMU, Troy, and Old Dominion throughout the season.
He guided Aja Blount to a second consecutive All-Sun Belt first team selection, as the 5-11 forward played in all 30 games to wrap up her career. Blount averaged 17.1 points per game while playing 29.5 minutes per contest. The Northampton, Pa., native finished sixth in the SBC in scoring and fourth in rebounding with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Pederson also coached Deaja Richardson to an All-Sun Belt third team selection, as the Kernersville, N.C., native was second on the team with 13.8 points per game with a team-high 30.6 minutes per game played. Richardson led the Chants to a 99-97 road win over the Troy Trojans with a career-high 31 points with a near perfect (10-13 FG, 8-9 3pt, 3-4 FT) night from the floor.
Pederson led Lander University to unprecedented success during his 17 years (2005-22) in Greenwood, S.C., as he guided the Bearcats to a 356-160 overall record fueled by 13 NCAA Division II Championship Tournament appearances, including the last eight straight seasons.
Prior to 2022-23, Pederson directed the Bearcats to a 24-5 overall record, a 15-3 Peach Belt Conference record, and advanced to the 2022 NCAA Division II Championship Regional final.
Pederson owns an impressive .675 winning percentage (493-237) through 24 seasons as an intercollegiate head women’s basketball coach with all of those 493 career wins coming at South Carolina institutions in Coastal Carolina (49-46), Lander (356-160) and Anderson University (88-31).
The all-time wins leader for Lander women’s basketball and conference wins leader in women’s basketball for the Peach Belt Conference, Pederson led the Bearcats to two NCAA DII Region Championships (2011-12 and 2020-21), four Peach Belt regular-season championships (2007-08, 2009-10, 2019-20, and 2020-21), two Peach Belt Conference division championships (2015-16 and 2016-17), and four Peach Belt Conference Tournament championships (2007-08, 2008-09, 2015-16, and 2019-20).
In his four years as the head coach at Anderson (2002-05), he led the Trojans to a Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) regular-season championship in 2004-05 and back-to-back tournament championships in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Pederson, a three-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBC) Region Coach of the Year (2009-10, 2019-20, and 2020-21) and three-time conference coach of the year (2004-05, 2009-10, and 2020-21), has recorded 16 20-win seasons, including eight 25-plus win seasons, and was the first coach in the state of South Carolina to lead a team to three straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances.
He has recorded a 20-14 career record in the NCAA DII Championship Tournament, making 15 appearances in 21 seasons. He has taken his teams to seven Sweet 16 appearances (2004-05, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22), made two Elite 8 appearances (2011-12 and 2020-21), and reached one Final 4 (2020-21).
His teams have finished in the NCAA DII Top 25 national rankings eight times, including his most recent 2021-22 Lander squad completing the season ranked No. 10 in the NCAA DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the D2SIDA Final WBB Poll.
During his career, he recruited and coached the 2011 WBCA Division II Player of the Year Shannon McKeever, the NCAA Division II All-Time Leading Scorer in Lashonda Chiles, and mentored at least one Division II All-American in 10 different seasons.
Pederson has also coached 48 all-conference players, eight conference players of the year, three conference defensive players of the year, four conference freshman of the year, and one conference female athlete of the year. While at Lander, he also coached two Peach Belt Conference Elite 16 Award winners in Cierra Revell (2021) and Sarah Crews (2022), as well as eight Lander Female Athlete of the Year Award winners.
In the classroom, Pederson’s teams on average have posted a 3.0 team grade-point average or better during the past two seasons. Makaila Cange was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2022.
In addition to serving as Lander’s women’s head basketball coach, Pederson served as the associate athletic director starting in 2016, where he oversaw the entire athletic department budget and individual sports team accounts.
Pederson started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Anderson College (S.C.) from 1999 to 2005. He also served as the head junior varsity coach for the men’s team from 2000 to 2002 before taking over the reins of the women’s basketball program in January 2002, first on an interim basis and then full-time.
Pederson, a native of Fairfax, Va., worked five seasons for the Clemson University men's basketball program as a student manager from 1994 to 1999 under Rick Barnes and Larry Shyatt before joining Anderson College in 2001.
He earned a bachelor's degree from Clemson and a master's degree from the United States Sports Academy.
Pederson is married to the former Adair Clary of Gaffney, S.C., who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Clemson. They have two children, Conner and Clary.
What they are saying…
"I always like playing teams coached by Kevin because I know we'll be facing a tough, disciplined team who will challenge us to be the same. His history of success at Lander speaks to that culture throughout his program, and it will be great to watch that translate to the next level of basketball at Coastal Carolina."
- Dawn Staley, Head Women's Basketball Coach, University of South Carolina
"Coach Pederson is a proven winner and a great friend. He's innovative, smart, and hard-working. I always enjoy our basketball conversations and admire his dedication to his family. I'm excited to see the elite staff he will assemble and know he will be a strong contender in the Sun Belt. Congrats to Coastal on a fantastic hire!"
- Amanda Butler, Head Women's Basketball Coach, Clemson University
"Kevin is a proven winner and knows how to build and sustain a championship culture. He will lead Coastal Carolina with integrity and a focus on creating strong relationships with his players and in the community. Most importantly, Kevin is a very good person, and I could not be more excited for him and his family!"
- Erin Batth, Assistant Women's Basketball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, NC State
"Coach Pederson is a winner! Every institution he has coached has achieved new heights in its basketball program. He's intense, sincere, and he's a competitor. But, more importantly, Coach Pederson is a wonderful husband, father, and man!"
- Bruce Evans, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, University of North Florida
Pederson's Career Head Coaching Record
| Year |
School |
Record |
Pct. |
Conference Notes |
Postseason |
| 2001-02 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
13-9 |
.591 |
--- |
--- |
| 2002-03 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
17-12 |
.586 |
--- |
--- |
| 2003-04 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
25-7 |
.781 |
CVAC Tournament Champions |
NCAA DII Round of 32 |
| 2004-05 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
33-3 |
.917 |
CVAC Regular-Season & Tournament Champions |
NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
| 2005-06 |
Lander |
5-23 |
.179 |
--- |
--- |
| 2006-07 |
Lander |
15-13 |
.536 |
--- |
--- |
| 2007-08 |
Lander |
23-12 |
.657 |
Peach Belt Regular-Season & Tournament Champions |
NCAA DII Round of 32 |
| 2008-09 |
Lander |
20-11 |
.645 |
Peach Belt Tournament Champions |
NCAA DII Round of 64 |
| 2009-10 |
Lander |
27-4 |
.871 |
Peach Belt Regular-Season Champions |
NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
| 2010-11 |
Lander |
29-4 |
.879 |
--- |
NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
| 2011-12 |
Lander |
24-8 |
.750 |
--- |
NCAA DII Elite Eight |
| 2012-13 |
Lander |
9-17 |
.346 |
--- |
--- |
| 2013-14 |
Lander |
12-17 |
.414 |
--- |
--- |
| 2014-15 |
Lander |
23-7 |
.767 |
--- |
NCAA DII Round of 64 |
| 2015-16 |
Lander |
25-7 |
.781 |
Peach Belt Tournament Champions |
NCAA DII Round of 64 |
| 2016-17 |
Lander |
25-8 |
.758 |
--- |
NCAA DII Round of 32 |
| 2017-18 |
Lander |
25-8 |
.758 |
--- |
NCAA DII Round of 32 |
| 2018-19 |
Lander |
24-9 |
.727 |
--- |
NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
| 2019-20 |
Lander |
26-5 |
.839 |
Peach Belt Regular-Season & Tournament Champions |
N/A - No. 1 seed in Southeast |
| 2020-21 |
Lander |
20-2 |
.909 |
Peach Belt Regular-Season Champions |
NCAA DII Final Four |
| 2021-22 |
Lander |
24-5 |
.828 |
--- |
NCAA DII Sweet 16 |
| 2022-23 |
Coastal Carolina |
14-16 |
.467 |
--- |
--- |
| 2023-24 |
Coastal Carolina |
12-21 |
.364 |
--- |
--- |
| 2024-25 |
Coastal Carolina |
23-9 |
.719 |
--- |
WNIT First Round |
| TOTALS |
24 years |
493-237 |
.675 |
|
|
|
at Coastal Carolina |
49-46 |
.516 |
|
|
|
at Lander |
356-160 |
.690 |
|
|
|
at Anderson (S.C.) |
88-31 |
.739 |
|
|
