After a historic first season leading the FGCU women’s basketball program, the next chapter for Chelsea Lyles and FGCU assistant Camryn Brown has arrived.
Lyles and Brown were announced as the latest assistant coaches of the Atlanta Dream, reuniting with longtime FGCU coach Karl Smesko Monday morning.
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“I’m so thankful for this amazing opportunity to work with Coach Smesko again and to join the Atlanta Dream family,” Lyles said in a release. “I’m excited to contribute my passion and energy to a staff, team and organization that are committed to excellence and growth. Can’t wait to get to work.”
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles head coach Chelsea Lyles claps while directing the team during the third quarter of an ASUN conference game against the Jacksonville Dolphins at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Lyles was elite in her first and only season as a head coach, leading FGCU to a 30-2 record after starting 0-2 under Smesko before he resigned. Lyles went undefeated in conference play, winning all but one game by double digits. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament as a 14-seed, falling to Oklahoma 81-58 in Norman on Saturday.
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“Chelsea is an exceptional basketball mind with a profound ability to connect with players on a human level,” Smesko said. “She knows how to bring out the best in them, and her adaptability and leadership will be a tremendous asset to our team.”
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) practice, coach Chelsea Lyles at the NCAA Women’s basketball first round at the Lloyd Noble Center on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma Friday, March 21, 2025.
Brown spent three seasons as an assistant coach at FGCU, following two seasons as an assistant coach at West Virginia State University. She also had a decorated collegiate playing career at High Point University, earning Big South Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete honors under Chelsea Banbury.
“I’m thrilled to rejoin Coach Smesko in Atlanta,” Brown said in the release. “The athletes, staff and front office have already been incredible to work with and I’m eager to contribute and grow as a coach in the WNBA.”
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The Dream have had a good offseason, most recently signing 10-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner and three-time All-Star Brionna Jones. Those pieces, coupled alongside Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, could make Atlanta a contender to secure a WNBA Championship under Smesko and Lyles.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Chelsea Lyles, Camryn Brown hired by WNBA Atlanta Dream, reunite with former FGCU coach Karl Smesko
