‘This is perfect for me.’ Gamecock great Carlos Powell takes over Gray Collegiate hoops

Carlos Powell is no stranger to Midlands basketball fans.

Powell was a standout for Dave Odom’s University of South Carolina teams in the 1990s before going on to a 13-year professional career. After his playing days finished, Powell got into coaching and was named head basketball coach at his alma mater Wilson High School in Florence four years ago.

On Monday, he was introduced as the new basketball coach at Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia.

Powell met with reporters after his introductory press conference. He touched on a variety of topics, including his influences, getting into coaching and helping Gray with the transition from Class 2A to 4A next season.

Question: When did you know you were going to get into coaching?

Carlos Powell: “It didn’t dawn on me until after I was retiring. I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’ I have been training kids for three years while I was still playing and just the impact I was having on certain kids. Then a lot of people started telling me that I should be a coach. I was also a boxing trainer. And then I went to the Bojangles’ Bash (showcase event) for the first time and ran into coach Yerrick Stoneman (former Ridge View High coach, now at Oak Hill) and told him I was trying to be a coach. He was like, ‘Are you sure?’ So that is how it started. After a while, he told me I was a natural, and here I am now.”

Q: Are you surprised at how successful you have been so far? (Powell had three 20-win seasons in four years at Wilson and led Tigers to the 2022 Class 4A championship.)

CP: “Did I expect myself to be in this position? Yeah. But I say that as humble as possible. I believe that I’m the hardest-working person, and discipline is number one on my list. It is who I am as a person. Throughout my career, I always have been a winner just off of the work that I have put in. It has translated into coaching and just instilling in those kids, and they just fed off of that.”

Q: What is the secret to your success?

CP: “You’ve got to grind for what you want. That is all it is about. Be consistent with your approach. I say CDL a lot (Consistency, Discipline and be willing to Learn).

Q: What are the biggest challenges these days to being a high school coach?

CP: “The biggest challenge is the outside noise. A lot of people have opinions on stuff that they never did, and a lot of kids fall victim to listening to stuff like that. It just trickles down.”

Q: Who are some of your biggest influences in coaching and why?

CP: “I always have been a big fan of Dion Bethea (the Gray Collegiate coach who Powell is replacing). I met him in high school when I was playing for Beach Ball Select AAU. He had the only NIKE AAU team in South Carolina up here. You can’t forget about Tim Whipple (Irmo) and Zach Norris (Keenan). Norris is probably who I try to emulate a lot. Everyone knows he has one of the most disciplined programs.

“And one of the biggest influences is Coach Stoneman. I studied him like a book when I was over there at Ridge View for a season. I just tried to develop that same path that he approached with the game and kids, and his impact on the community.”

Q: Were you expecting to get a call from Gray when the job opened?

A: “Yes. I always pride myself on work and my work spoke volumes. I think I am one of the top coaches around because of the work I put in and I am willing to learn. This is perfect for me. This is the perfect situation right here.”

Q: What appealed to you about this job?

CP: “Gray is the top program in the state. They play on a national scale and the competition they are playing. The opportunity just presented itself and I am thankful for it.”

Q: How tough was it to leave your alma mater Wilson?

CP: “Extremely tough. They embraced me and we won a championship there. We won the region every single year. Those kids hold a special place in my heart. ... We always tell the kids about sacrifices we are going to have to make and sacrifices on the court. This is no different. The guys understand that and it was a smooth transition.”

Q: What about the situation of Gray moving up from Class 2A to 4A next year?

CP: “It is going to be pretty fun. I have been hearing a lot from Gray moving from 2A to 4A. I was in 4A for a while (at Wilson) so I am very comfortable in 4A. So there is no pressure for me.”