Quinton Ferrell, who helped Presbyterian College to a NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2005 and two 20-win seasons in his four years as a student-athlete, returned to his alma mater as the 19th head coach in men’s basketball program history April 11, 2019. He is in his first year as head coach, and sixth overall at PC, having served as assistant coach from 2007-2012.
Ferrell comes to PC after five seasons as an assistant coach at College of Charleston, where he saw major responsibility in recruiting, scouting and developing perimeter players. Promoted to lead assistant in 2018-19, he worked with several standout players, including 2019 Colonial Athletic Association First Team All-Conference selections Jarrell Brantley and Grant Riller, as well as one of the best players in school history Joe Chealey, who garnered several awards during his time at CofC, including multiple CAA and NABC All-Conference honors, the Lou Henson All-American team, and became the third Cougar to play in the NBA.
The Cougars finished 2018-19 with a 24-9 overall record, its third straight 20+ win season, including non-conference victories over Rhode Island, VCU and Memphis.
In 2017-18, the Cougars made a memorable run that included the program’s second-straight 25-win campaign, an impressive 26-8 overall record and 14-4 mark in CAA play. The co-regular-season champions won the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship and earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1999. Brantley was named to the All-CAA Second Team and Cameron Johnson to the CAA All-Defensive Team for the third year in a row.
Of the 13 scholarship players CofC will have next season, Ferrell was responsible for signing 11 of them, and helped Head Coach Earl Grant resurrect a team that won nine games in 2014-15, to three straight 20+ winning seasons.
In 2016-17, the Cougars to posted a 25-10 overall record, marking the program's first 20-win campaign since 2013. Charleston advanced to the championship game of the CAA Tournament for the first time since CofC joined the Colonial in 2013. The Cougars were also selected and made their fifth all-time appearance in the Postseason NIT. It was their first postseason berth (NCAA or NIT) since 2011.
In 2015-16 Ferrell helped develop four all-conference players including CAA All-Freshman team selection Marquis Pointer, as well as Rookie of the Year and All-CAA Third Team selection Brantley, the first freshman to receive such honors since 2006. CofC went 9-4 in non-conference action, including an upset of LSU and projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick Ben Simmons.
Prior to his tenure at The Citadel, Ferrell spent five years as an assistant coach at PC. In addition to working with both perimeter and post players, he was responsible for a wide variety of tasks including recruiting, scouting, team travel, equipment and academics.
In 2007-08, Ferrell helped the Blue Hose transition from NCAA Division II status into the NCAA Division I ranks, and was part of a staff which engineered victories over Auburn, Wake Forest and 20th-ranked Cincinnati during his time in Clinton, S.C. He recruited the top two scorers in school history in Khalid Mutakabbir (1,576 points) and Al’Lonzo Coleman (1,501 points), who went on to earn All-Big South Conference honors twice.
Ferrell joined the Blue Hose coaching staff the first time around after a productive four years on the PC men’s basketball team. A three-year starter at point guard for PC, Ferrell is regarded as one of the best defenders to ever play at PC under former head coach Gregg Nibert.
Ferrell was on the 2005-06 Blue Hose basketball team that advanced to the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional Semifinals. He was also a senior captain on the 2006-07 Blue Hose squad that finished with 20 wins for the second consecutive season and led the Blue Hose in assists and steals in each of his final two seasons and was twice named the program’s Most Valuable Defensive Player.
A 2007 graduate of Presbyterian, Ferrell earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting. After the completion of his senior year of high school, he participated in the North Carolina/South Carolina All-Star Game.
Ferrell attended North Augusta High School and graduated in 2003. He was named South Carolina All-State after a senior season where he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Ferrell is married to the former Kimberly Turner, of Augusta, Ga., and the couple has two children, Qaiden Mauricio Ferrell, born on March 15, 2016, and Keziah Renata, born on Sept. 21, 2018.