Sidelines
Women’s Basketball
Eagles Claim Sun Belt Title
Georgia Southern women’s basketball won its first Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship, defeating Marshall University. That’s the first conference title for the Eagles since 2001. The team also earned a spot in the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, just its fourth national postseason appearance in the NCAA era. The Eagles ended the season with a 23-8 overall record.
When the Sun Belt’s All-Conference awards were announced, Kishyah Anderson was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. Anderson is only the third student-athlete in Georgia Southern women’s basketball history to earn a conference Player of the Year award.
New Head Coach Leads Women’s Basketball
Heather Macy is the new head coach for women’s basketball. The former coach at Nova Southeastern University led the Sharks to a 29-5 record, a Sunshine State Conference tournament title and a fourth straight berth into the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament. She is the 10th head coach in Georgia Southern women’s basketball history.
Men’s Basketball
Team Makes History with Five Wins in Five Days Before Championship Defeat
Georgia Southern men’s basketball came close to earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. However, the team’s historic season and tournament run ended in the Sun Belt Championship game when they lost to Troy, 77-61, at Pensacola Bay Center in Florida. Yet, the 10th-seeded Eagles stole the spotlight at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament by defeating higher-seeded teams in their Cinderella run to the championship game.
They became the third team in NCAA history to win five games in five days in a conference tournament, downing Old Dominion, Arkansas State, South Alabama, Coastal Carolina and Marshall. Additionally, the Eagles set a tournament record for total points, field goals made, three-pointers made, rebounds and assists.
Coach To Remain with Georgia Southern Through 2030
Men’s Basketball Head Coach Charlie Henry has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep him at Georgia Southern University through 2029-30. Henry and the Eagles are coming off a historic 2025-26 season, during which Georgia Southern achieved its first 20-plus win campaign in seven years, reached the Sun Belt Conference Championship game and broke multiple program records.
“I’m excited to continue building our basketball program here at Georgia Southern,” Henry said. “We’ve made great strides, but there is still work to be done. I cannot thank President Marrero, Athletic Director Chris Davis and the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation Board for their trust and support in my three years here. My family and I love Georgia Southern and the Statesboro community. I am blessed to be your basketball coach.”
Swimming & Diving
Eagles Secure Top-Four Finish At Atlantic Sun Conference
The Georgia Southern Swimming and Diving Team competed in the 2026 Atlantic Sun (Asun) Conference Championships and finished fourth overall of nine squads. In her last conference meet, Karlee Wells ended the weekend with a second-place finish in the platform dive. She was just one of two female divers to score more than 200 in the event. Asun named her the Most Outstanding Woman Diver over the four days of the Meet.
Track & Field
Junior Sprinter Earns Most Outstanding Track Performer Honors
Shatalya Dorsett has been named the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Most Outstanding Track Performer following a record-breaking showing at the 2026 Sun Belt Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She delivered one of the most dominant performances of the championship meet, totaling 23 points while helping lead the Eagles to multiple gold-medal finishes against the conference’s top competition. Individually, Dorsett captured the Sun Belt title in the 200m with another facility-record performance, improving from No. 3 to No. 2 on Georgia Southern’s all-time performance list in the event. She capped off the championship meet with another gold medal in the 100m, with an 11.18 finish that set both a new facility record and a new Georgia Southern program record.
Hall of Fame
Nate Hirsch Honored with Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Induction
Nathan “Nate” Hirsch, the original “Voice of the Georgia Southern Eagles,” has been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Legends Class of 2026. The Georgia Southern icon’s association with the University began in 1971 as the play-by-play voice of Eagle sports. He added baseball to his duties in 1973 and later included football in his repertoire. Hirsch, who spent 35 years as “The Voice of the Eagles”, died in 2016. He was honored during the 70th Annual Induction Ceremony held in February in Macon, Georgia. Induction into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is widely regarded as the highest sports recognition in the state.
From Eagle Runner To Georgia Sports Hall Of Fame
Eagle Nation athlete Tim Willis (’94) has also been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. He excelled in track and field and was the first blind athlete to compete in cross country at the NCAA Division I level. Willis ran for Georgia Southern from 1990 to 1994 and went on to win numerous medals in various world championships. At the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, he earned silver in the 10,000m and bronze medals in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 1,600m relay. Four years later, he won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. He remains a trailblazer for blind athletes.