Former Gamecock Carlos Powell taking over Midlands powerhouse basketball program
Carlos Powell is coming back to the Midlands.
The former South Carolina basketball great and Wilson High coach has accepted a job as head boys basketball coach at Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia, according to sources with knowledge of the decision. A press conference to introduce Gray Collegiate’s new basketball coach is set for Monday at 12:30 p.m., but the school didn’t release the name of the coach.
Powell will replace Dion Bethea, who resigned to take an assistant coaching position in college at Division I Georgia Southern.
Powell announced his resignation on X (formerly known as Twitter) Saturday but didn’t say where his next stop would be. He informed his Wilson team Friday afternoon.
“I’m excited about the next chapter of my career and the opportunities that lie ahead,” Powell wrote in his post. “Thank you once again for the memories. Wilson High School will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Powell was the War Eagles’ top candidate. The school moved quickly after Bethea officially announced his resignation Monday.
Powell will be the second coach in program history and look to continue the War Eagles tradition. Gray Collegiate won six Class 2A championships under Bethea including the last three in a row.
The War Eagles will move up to Class 4A next season due to South Carolina High School League’s realignment.
Powell joins another former Gamecock Brandon Wallace as Gray basketball head coaches. Wallace is Gray’s girls coach and led the War Eagles to state championship in 2023.
Powell was the head coach at his alma mater Wilson for the last four years and led the Tigers to the 2022 Class 4A state title in his second season. Wilson defeated AC Flora 52-43 for the Tigers’ second state championship in program history.
“A lot of people don’t know the amount of work that we put in to get where we are today,” Powell said after the game. “Just to win a state championship after going through such hard times and hearing all the little things, it is refreshing. What can they say now?”
Powell compiled a 74-20 record in his four seasons with three straight 20-plus win seasons. His first year (2020-21) was limited to just seven games because of COVID-19.
Powell is leaving a Wilson team that has Tristan Thompson, one of the top seniors in S.C. for the 2025 class, and rising sophomore Josh Leonard, one of the top ranked prospects in the country for the class of 2027.
Before Wilson, Powell was an assistant coach at Ridge View and part of the Blazers’ 2020 state championship team.
Powell got into coaching after successful high school, college and professional careers. At USC, Powell was known for his energetic play and was an all-SEC selection and the MVP for the 2005 NIT tournament. He finished his career with 1,541 points and 641 rebounds in 132 games. He is the eighth leading scorer in school history. After college, Powell had stints on NBA training camp rosters with Phoenix and Golden State.
Powell played overseas for more than a decade with stops in Israel, Iran, New Zealand, South Korea and Venezuela. He also played in the NBA D-League (now called G-League) and Continental Basketball Association.
This story was originally published May 11, 2024 at 12:06 PM.
