Cherokee girls basketball coach Ann Gardner announced her retirement Tuesday, concluding a 32-year coaching career that culminated in the Braves’ state championship this season.
Gardner said she is retiring to spend more time with her family.
“The bonds and relationships that I’ve established over the years will always hold a special place in my heart,” Garder told the Citizen Times. “I just hope that I’ve made an impact on the lives of young ladies and let them see that no matter what life throws at you, if you persevere and work hard, you’ll come out on top.”
Gardner guided Cherokee to its first state title since 1996. The Braves finished 26-1, dominating competition all season and beating East Columbus 74-32 in the 1A championship game.
“A lot of the credit goes towards my team and their ability to work hard and just do what I ask them to do,” she said. “It’s amazing to be able to go out on top.”
Gardner spent three years as head coach of the Braves, tallying a record of 71-13. She was an assistant coach for two seasons before taking over at Cherokee.
Gardner played at South Carolina from 1987 to 1991, appearing in 30 games as a senior and averaging 4.4 points per game. Her first coaching job was at Winthrop. She also spent two years at Western Carolina as a recruiting coordinator.
She got her start in high school coaching at Robbinsville and spent six years with the Black Knights before moving to Tuscola for 13 years. Her career record is 335-250.
But even when she started coaching, Gardner always wanted to take over for the Braves.
“What Cherokee offers is second to none,” Gardner said. “I said from day one, when I started coaching high school, that I ultimately wanted to get to Cherokee High School . . . To be able to finish out my career at Cherokee, I couldn’t have asked for any better.”
Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.