Atlantic Collegiate Academy

Tanner Massey is coming home to the Grand Strand to become the head boys' basketball coach at Atlantic Collegiate Academy, ACA Director of Athletics William Payne announced on Friday, August 9, 2024.
 
"Today is an extremely exciting day for ACA and Armada Basketball," Payne said. "After a summer full of change that saw four significant players graduate and our previous coach move back to the college ranks, we have finally found the right person the lead Armada Basketball into the future.
 
"Tanner has a very impressive resume that speaks to his ability to develop players. He has coached at the pro level in the NBA G-League, at the collegiate level, internationally and everything in between. His background is exactly what ACA needs to ensure we continue to build a strong foundation for this program."
 
A native of Conway, South Carolina, Massey has made numerous coaching stops in his career, including time at NCAA, NAIA, and NBA G League teams and international basketball. He served as a graduate assistant coach with the University of South Alabama, a video coordinator with the University of South Carolina, and an assistant coach with Union College.
 
Massey takes over an Armada program that posted a 20-2 record in its inaugural season last year but lost four seniors to graduation. ACA also had two different junior varsity teams last year that, combined, posted a 15-2 record.
 
"This is special and more meaningful to me because this is home," Massey said. "I feel like I can a make more lasting impact with the students at ACA. My roots are here.
 
"The athletics department is about the right things, primarily the student-athletes, and want what is best for them in their experience."
 
Massey said the only thing he really knows about the players who are returning to the ACA program is that they had a lot of success last year, but he is looking forward to meeting each of them.
 
"The basketball team last year was stellar," Massey said. "Coach (Jason) Harris did a great job with the program and laid a great foundation for the future."
 
The first priority for the new Armada coach, besides finding a place to live and moving with his wife and young daughter from Delaware, will be meeting the players and their families, and getting a chance to see film on the team from last year.
 
"We will meet the kids tonight, and I can't wait to see them play," Massey said. "I don't know if there is film from last year, but I hope there is. Once we get moved by the end of August, we will start team workouts after Labor Day. I am going to call each player, individually, so we get on the same page with expectations and plan for them to be as successful as possible. Those first few weeks will be really important."
 
In addition to moving and meeting his players, Massey has plenty of other things on his plate, so he'll have to hit the ground running.
 
"We have to find the right assistant coaching staff, and that will be important," Massey said. "Despite having been a head coach at multiple levels, I have never hired a coaching staff before. I am reaching out to people I know in the business just to make sure I don't miss something."
 
He can also lean on established staff members at ACA, like Payne as well as football coach Antoine Rivens.
 
"I have already spoken with our strength coach and with Coach Rivens about kids who are playing basketball and football," Massey said.
 
While in the NBA G League, he was an assistant coach with Erie Bayhawks, Northern Arizona Suns, and Capital City Go-Go. Massey joined the coaching staff for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Orlando Magic finished as runners-up in 2015 and took the NBA Summer League Championship in 2016.
 
In 2017, Massey was hired as an assistant coach by the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japanese B League. Massey credits his time in Japan to exposing him to a new style of play and reinforcing the importance of team-oriented basketball. In addition to his time in Japan, he served as head coach for the Basketball Federation of Syria in 2022.
 
Massey made his CEBL debut in 2021 serving as assistant coach of the Fraser Valley Bandits (now Vancouver Bandits) helping lead them to the CEBL Championship Weekend with an exit in the semifinals. The next year he served as Associate Head Coach for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
 
During the 2022-23 season he was an assistant coach for BC Nokia in Finland and last year he served as Associate Head coach at Goldey-Beacom College, an NCAA Division II school in Pike Creek, Del.
 
A product of Carolina Forest High, Massey attended Coastal Carolina University, starting as a student manager before taking on more responsibility with the Chanticleers in video and scouting as he got older. He received his bachelor's degree in communication in 2010 and went on the become a graduate assistant coach at the University of South Alabama, receiving a master's degree in 2013.
 
"The new building is awesome," Massey said. "Seeing that helped me with having some clarity for the job. I want our school to be the hub for basketball in this area."
 
He and his wife, Jessica, a native of Denver, Col., have one daughter, Delaney, who was born in April of 2024. His parents both worked at Coastal Carolina University. The family also includes a French Bulldog named Arlo.