Men's Basketball Staff
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Dennis
Gibson 301-387-3051
Assistant Coaches: Jason Brenneman and Harv Speicher Head Coach Dennis Gibson
Lakers
Head Coach Dennis Gibson’s basketball beginnings are firmly
entrenched at Garrett College. Despite never playing basketball in high
school, he made Garrett’s first team and became a starter by his
sophomore year, helping lead the Lakers to a 17-9 record. After graduating
from Garrett, he won Second Team All-ODAC honors at Bridgewater College
(VA). Professionally, Coach Gibson enjoyed a short stint with the CBA
team Baltimore Metros and received invitations to play overseas. Coach
Gibson began his coaching career at Garrett in 1978, serving six years
as an assistant while also working at his family’s business and
completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at West Virginia University. In
1985, he was offered and accepted the head coaching position full-time.
That first team, without a player taller than 6'5, ran off the best beginning
for a Garrett team going 8-0 (a record that stood for 18 years).
Beginning his 21st year as Lakers mentor, Coach Gibson owns an impressive
record of 413-204 averaging 21 wins per season. His 1994-95 team was
the first team in any sport in Garrett College history to win the Region
XX tournament and MD JUCO tourney in the same year. That same team went
on to finish sixth in the country in the NJCAA tournament. The 2002-03
team dropped eighth-ranked Allegany College of Maryland 55-52 to win
Garrett’s first ever Division I, Region XX championship in any
sport. Gibson’s teams have set every record at Garrett including
most wins in a season, highest scoring average and producing numerous
All-American and All-Region selections.
"Our philosophy is to play tough man defense and push the ball
up the floor whenever possible," stated Gibson. "We also try
to recruit the student-athlete that has a goal of continuing their career
at the next level through education and basketball. Playing junior college
basketball requires mental toughness and a great deal of maturity. Our
athletes are required to be responsible for their actions on and off
the court. We expect them to go to class, work with our tutors, attend
study halls and keep their personal planners up to date, ensuring their
success. I personally do not care if our guys go to a Division I or II
school; just that they are happy with their decision and know that getting
a degree is the most important step in their life."
Coach Gibson and his wife Kerry reside in McHenry with their three
children: Jeseca, Kory, and Matthew.
“Playing at Garrett Community College was a great experience.
Coach Gibson was willing to spend endless hours with me working on
my individual skills. With Coach Gibson, everyone on the team will
improve and, depending on their own work ethic, have a chance to play
at a four-year institution.” -
Dick Bender (1983-84), Assistant Coach, Tulane University
Assistant Coach Harv Speicher
Harv Speicher is in his second year as a Garrett Laker men’s basketball
assistant. He is a 1968 graduate of Southern Garrett High School,
Oakland, MD. Coach Speicher graduated from Towson State University
in 1972 with a degree in physical education and completed his masters’ degree
at Frostburg State College.
Harv is currently the Athletic Director at Northern Garrett High School,
a position he has held for the past 10 years. He still serves as
an assistant basketball coach to head coach Paul Edwards on the boy’s
varsity team. In addition to his teaching and athletic director
duties at NHS, he has served as a head coach in a variety of sports; including
girls and boys basketball, golf, and track. Coach Speicher’s
1997 girls’ basketball team made it to the Maryland state championship
game finishing as state runner up.
During a 13 year stint as the head boys coach at Northern
his teams produced numerous All Area selections and Northern High School’s
only Area Player of the Year, Brad Yoder.
A high school teacher for the past 36 years, Harv is an avid golfer
and works in the summer at Wisp Resort. He resides in Accident,
MD with his wife Barb.
Assistant Coach Jason Brenneman
A 1992 graduate of Southern High School, Oakland, MD, Jason completed his
AS degree from Garrett Community College in 1994. He played for two seasons
at Garrett, and was a starting guard for Coach Gibson’s Laker team
that won 26 games and finished eighth in the final national rankings. That
team was also the first ever in Garrett College history to go to the
Division ll JUCO National Tournament held in Danville, Ill. Coach
Brenneman then continued his basketball career at Glenville State College
in West Virginia, later completing his bachelor’s degree
at Frostburg State University with a major in Exercise Sciences. Coach
Brenneman first began his collegiate coaching career with
the Lakers in 1998 and then again in 2006. He has also served as assistant
basketball coach at Turkeyfoot High School, PA, and has coached various
youth leagues in and around the tri-state area. He resides in McHenry
with his wife, Klarissa, and son Xavier. |
