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Savannah native Bakari Bryant, who won a state basketball title as a player at Savannah High in 1998 under Tim Jordan, and went on to coach a state championship squad at Jenkins, is returning home to take over the New Hampstead boys basketball program, he confirmed on Sunday night.
Bryant, 44, has coached for the last six seasons at Dougherty High in Albany. He led the Trojans to the playoffs each year — including runs to the quarterfinals for three seasons in a row before a Class 3A Final Four appearance in 2024, where his squad lost to Johnson in the semis at Savannah State.
He coached at Jenkins from 2011 through 2018 and led the Warriors to the Class 3A state crown in 2015, and to state runnerup finishes in 2016 and 2018.
After one season as an assistant at Berkmar in Atlanta, Bryant took over the Dougherty job, and kept coming back to Savannah for memorable matchups — including two playoff games against New Hampstead, before the Final Four tilt with Johnson and his former assistant coach Chuck Campbell in 2024.
"I can tell you that was part of it — coming back home to coach in those games and having fans and fellow coaches coming up to me and saying 'We need you back,' " Bryant said. "I grew up in the Savannah basketball community and it helped make me into the man I am today — and to have that kind of support after I left meant a lot."
Bryant said his wife, Sheila, and his daughters, Karis and Kenlei, played a big part in his decision.
"We've moved around a bit, and everyone in the family thought it would be good to come home," Bryant said. "I admit I was frustrated at the end of my time at Jenkins and I felt like I need to move to Atlanta and spread my wings and grow professionally. I feel like I've done that at Dougherty, and now I'm ready to come home. This is going to be our last move — we hope to settle in until we retire.
"I think New Hampstead is a gold mine with the talented athletes they have," Bryant said. "And the principal, Tawn Foltz, is really supportive from what I've heard. I believe God takes me to the places I need to be. The job at Dougherty didn't end up working out, but I believe good people always land on their feet. I'm very excited to get started at New Hampstead, meet the kids and get going with summer basketball."
Bryant will replace Christopher Owens, who went 13-16 in his one season at the helm of the Phoenix program. New Hampstead lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs this year.
The Savannah basketball community is ready to embrace Bryant's return, especially Jordan, who Bryant is still very close with. Bryant calls his former coach "Pops."
"There is no place like home, I truly believe that — and Coach Jordan is a big part of that for me," Bryant said. "I feel like God closed one door, and opened up another for me. I love coaching because I love people and it's my safe haven and I'm ready to get started."
Jordan said he is excited about having Bryant, who he considers family, back in town.
"I thought Bakari did a really good job at Dougherty, but it was time to come home — and it's always good to come home," said Jordan, who now works as an Assistant Athletic Facilities Program Coordinator with the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. "He was a great player and he became a great coach with an impressive coaching résumé. He was born and raised in Savannah, and I don't know of anyone else who has won a state championship here as a player and then coached a championship team in Savannah. New Hampstead is a great school for basketball, and I think he's going to do a great job there."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah native Bakari Bryant coming home as New Hampstead basketball coach
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Bryant, 44, has coached for the last six seasons at Dougherty High in Albany. He led the Trojans to the playoffs each year — including runs to the quarterfinals for three seasons in a row before a Class 3A Final Four appearance in 2024, where his squad lost to Johnson in the semis at Savannah State.
He coached at Jenkins from 2011 through 2018 and led the Warriors to the Class 3A state crown in 2015, and to state runnerup finishes in 2016 and 2018.
After one season as an assistant at Berkmar in Atlanta, Bryant took over the Dougherty job, and kept coming back to Savannah for memorable matchups — including two playoff games against New Hampstead, before the Final Four tilt with Johnson and his former assistant coach Chuck Campbell in 2024.
"I can tell you that was part of it — coming back home to coach in those games and having fans and fellow coaches coming up to me and saying 'We need you back,' " Bryant said. "I grew up in the Savannah basketball community and it helped make me into the man I am today — and to have that kind of support after I left meant a lot."
Bryant said his wife, Sheila, and his daughters, Karis and Kenlei, played a big part in his decision.
"We've moved around a bit, and everyone in the family thought it would be good to come home," Bryant said. "I admit I was frustrated at the end of my time at Jenkins and I felt like I need to move to Atlanta and spread my wings and grow professionally. I feel like I've done that at Dougherty, and now I'm ready to come home. This is going to be our last move — we hope to settle in until we retire.
"I think New Hampstead is a gold mine with the talented athletes they have," Bryant said. "And the principal, Tawn Foltz, is really supportive from what I've heard. I believe God takes me to the places I need to be. The job at Dougherty didn't end up working out, but I believe good people always land on their feet. I'm very excited to get started at New Hampstead, meet the kids and get going with summer basketball."
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Bryant will replace Christopher Owens, who went 13-16 in his one season at the helm of the Phoenix program. New Hampstead lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs this year.
The Savannah basketball community is ready to embrace Bryant's return, especially Jordan, who Bryant is still very close with. Bryant calls his former coach "Pops."
You must be registered for see images attach
"There is no place like home, I truly believe that — and Coach Jordan is a big part of that for me," Bryant said. "I feel like God closed one door, and opened up another for me. I love coaching because I love people and it's my safe haven and I'm ready to get started."
Jordan said he is excited about having Bryant, who he considers family, back in town.
"I thought Bakari did a really good job at Dougherty, but it was time to come home — and it's always good to come home," said Jordan, who now works as an Assistant Athletic Facilities Program Coordinator with the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. "He was a great player and he became a great coach with an impressive coaching résumé. He was born and raised in Savannah, and I don't know of anyone else who has won a state championship here as a player and then coached a championship team in Savannah. New Hampstead is a great school for basketball, and I think he's going to do a great job there."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah native Bakari Bryant coming home as New Hampstead basketball coach
Continue reading...
