News

EHHS star coming home to coach Lady Eagles

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 16, 2022

One of East Henderson High School's alltime stars in basketball is coming home to coach the Lady Eagles.

Tammy George, a Henderson County native, led the Lady Eagles to the 3-A State Championship game in 1988. The next year as a senior she averaged 24 points and eight rebounds per game en route to being named the Western North Carolina Player of the Year by the Asheville Citizen-Times. She garnered first team all-state and Converse All-America honors in 1989 and was named Henderson County Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989. She also earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors at the State Regionals in 1988. Her jersey was retired in 2008 after becoming the school’s all-time leader in points, steals and assists.
George is a former member of UNC–Charlotte’s women’s basketball team, where she played from 1989-93, leading the 49ers in assists, steals and three-pointers as a senior in 1992-93. She owns Charlotte’s all-time 3-point field goal percentage record and is among the all-time leaders in steals and assists. She competed in the 1993 National College Slam Dunk/Three-Point Shootout shown nationally on ESPN during the Men’s Final Four in New Orleans, La. She finished third in the 3- point shooting portion of the contest. She graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in child and family development.
George was a member of the Asheville Rage/Smoky Mountain Swarm traveling exhibition

The all-time leader in victories at USC Upstate, George has 17 years overall experience as a head coach and 15 years at the helm of the USC Upstate women’s basketball program. George came to USC Upstate from Brevard College, where she spent two years as the head coach of the Tornados women’s hoops team. Prior to her stint at Brevard, George served as an assistant coach at three NCAA Division I schools.

“I am so excited that Tammy is going to be our new women’s basketball coach,” said EHHS Principal Brandon Scott. “She has had an incredibly impressive coaching career and she is an absolute legend as a player in Western North Carolina. She is going to immediately strengthen our women’s basketball program, as well as our entire athletic department.”

East Henderson High School basketball teams from 1996-2000, playing several exhibition games against Division I opponents.
George and her husband David, who is an engineer for General Electric, live in Zirconia.