George Felton

George Felton (born December 28, 1952)

Teams coached: South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina record: 87-62 (.584)
Overall record: 87-62 (.584)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1989)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (1991)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2000-2001 Kentucky (assoc. HC)
1997-2000 Kentucky (asst)
1995-1997 Oregon State (asst)
1992-1995 St. John’s (asst)
1991-1992 Georgia Tech (asst)
1986-1991 South Carolina
1981-1986 Georgia Tech (assoc. HC)
1976-1981 Appalachian State (asst)

George Felton Facts

  • George Felton
  • Born December 28, 1952
  • Hometown: Bronx, New York
  • Alma Mater: University of South Carolina (BA, 1975) / Appalachian State (MA)
  • A native of the Bronx, New York, Felton played basketball at All Hallows HS (NY)
  • Went down South to play for fellow-New Yorker Frank McGuire and the South Carolina Gamecocks
  • After graduating from USC, Felton became an assistant coach at Appalachian State under Bobby Cremins
    • Spent five years at App State then followed Cremins to Georgia Tech, becoming his associate head coach
  • In 1986, Felton was hired by his alma mater to become the head basketball coach at just 33 years old
    • Led the Gamecocks for five seasons, going 87-62 and reaching the postseason twice: the 1989 NCAA and 1991 NIT
    • Finished .500 or better every season and in the two postseason years had the program ranked in the AP Top 20
    • Abruptly fired in May 1991 with one year remaining on his contract; two months later was arrested for DUI
  • Rejoined Cremins at Georgia Tech, spending the 1991-92 season as an unpaid assistant due to his buyout from USC
  • Became a full-time assistant coach again in 1992, spending the next three years on Brian Mahoney‘s staff at St. John’s
  • Next was a two-year stint on Eddie Payne‘s staff at Oregon State; Payne was a former assistant of Felton at USC
  • Joined the staff of another former assistant, Tubby Smith, at Kentucky in 1997 and coached with the Wildcats for four seasons
  • Left Kentucky after the 2000-01 season to go to the NBA, worked as a scout with the Indiana Pacers
  • Hired in 2006 as Director of College Player Personnel for the San Antonio Spurs
    • Worked with the Spurs for many years, earning NBA Championship rings in both 2007 and 2014

George Felton Coaching Tree

  • Joe Dooley (East Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast)
  • Brian Ellerbe (Michigan, Loyola MD)
  • Eddie Payne (USC Upstate, Greensboro, Oregon State, East Carolina)
  • Tubby Smith (High Point, Memphis, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tulsa)