Gardner-Webb head coach Rick Scruggs (331-258, 153-143 at GWU) is entering his 12th season as the Runnin' Bulldogs head coach, and has his Runnin' Bulldogs firmly established as one of the fast rising mid-major programs in college basketball.

Scruggs has directed the `Dogs to winning seasons in each of the past two years, including a 17-12 mark in 2005-2006 against another difficult schedule.

A narrow, 83-80, loss at the buzzer against eventual top-10 team North Carolina - the defending national champions from the previous year - started the season and Scruggs' squad followed that effort with a second win in as many years over C-USA member East Carolina. Two games later, a landmark win occurred, as GWU stunned Big Ten foe and eventual NIT participant Minnesota on the Gophers' home floor, sending shockwaves through Division I college basketball.

A fourth-place finish in the A-Sun after a slow start including a school-record for league road wins, including one at powerful ETSU in February. Two wins over NCAA Tournament participant Belmont in the regular season proved crucial to a late season charge by GWU, and the `Dogs followed that with an opening round win over tournament host ETSU in the A-Sun Tournament, sending GWU to the league semifinals for the second year in a row.

Seniors Brian Bender (Poland), Simon Conn (Australia) and Tim Jennings (Germany) each signed professional contracts after the end their careers at GWU - and strong senior seasons.

Faced with a rebuilding process on the recruiting trails after seeing six seniors graduate, Scruggs helped procure an incoming class that was ranked No. 49 nationally by the Hoop Scoop recruiting service.

The 2005 A-Sun Coach of the Year directed his squad to the league's regular season championship last season - and took the Runnin' Bulldogs just once step away from a spot in the NCAA's Big Dance, before a loss in the A-Sun championship game ended the magical run.

Despite being tabbed ninth in the preseason polls by both coaches and media, Gardner-Webb proved doubters wrong from start to finish - bolting to a 5-0 start in league play and leading the league for all but 52 hours of the 20-game regular season.

Brian Bender earned first-team All-Conference honors and was a first-team Academic All-District III selection, Tim Jennings was named Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-Conference - and both Bender and center Simon Conn were named to the league's All-Tournament team in March.

The accolades came just one year after an eighth-place finish by GWU in the Atlantic Sun.

Scruggs' `Dogs finished 9-20 in 2003-2004, but in the final weeks of that season, Gardner-Webb took eventual A-Sun Tournament champion UCF to overtime in?Orlando, and battled regular season champion Troy State to the wire on the road in Alabama.

Prior to its first season in the A-Sun in 2002-2003, Gardner-Webb experienced a run that earned the program heaps of national respect and praise. In 2001-2002, Gardner-Webb finished with a 23-9 mark under Scruggs, highlighted by wins over Colorado State, OVC?champion and NCAA?Tournament participant Murray State, Southern Conference runner up Furman, Ivy League Co-Champion Yale and South Alabama (Sun Belt).

Scruggs' gift of cupcakes to ESPN celebrity Dick Vitale following the GWU win over Colorado?State on?Nov. 29, 2001, gained national attention for the Bulldogs, as Vitale featured GWU in a column at ESPN.com and sang the program's praises during several live college basketball broadcasts. Last Fall, in Vitale's most recent book, the popular sportscaster noted the "cupcake experience" as an enjoyable one. Vitale had given Colorado State his preseason "cupcake" schedule award - citing the fledgling GWU program as one of the cupcakes.

Vitale and many others are now aware: Gardner-Webb basketball under Scruggs is competitive at the Division I level - and have proven to capable of taking major conference squads down with victories over Minnesota, Colorado State and East Carolina, and down to the wire in close losses at North Carolina, Kansas State, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia.

When Scruggs joined the Gardner-Webb family in 1995, he had at his fingertips a basketball program that had seen plenty of success in its early years. The Bulldogs were a junior college power in the 1960s, led by Gilmore and Adams. After elevating to senior college status, the Bulldogs earned national prominence on the NAIA?level in the 1970s behind the hot shooting of Drew, Adams and Dave Borman. Under Scruggs' direction, the Bulldogs returned to the national scene on the NCAA?Division II level and are now on a successful path to success at college basketball's highest level of competition - NCAA?Division I.

In its basketball history, Gardner-Webb has advanced to national tournament competition on every level. The only step left is an appearance in the NCAA?Division I?Men's National Tournament, and GWU will look to make a run at the A-Sun's automatic bid again during the 2005-2006 season.

Scruggs has embraced the Gardner-Webb student section, dubbed the "Dawg Pound", and encourages student support of the Runnin' Bulldog program -?which has enjoyed success on its home court during his tenure in Boiling Springs.

"Our student support has grown to a level that most established Division I programs are envious of,"?Scruggs said. "The Dawg Pound deserves a lot of credit for our success on the court. These kids show up every night ready to make noise and support our guys. I think our home court advantage has developed due to our student body's love of the program."

In 2001-2002, many predicted GWU as the top Division I Independent, and Scruggs' team didn't disappoint. Gardner-Webb posted 19 wins against Division I teams and extended its home win streak to 33 games before a season-ending loss. The Runnin' Bulldogs played host to Mountain?West foe Colorado State on Nov. 29, 2001, and rode the energy of a home crowd that exceeded 4,000 to a 56-54 win. The win was monumental in terms of publicity and exposure for a new?Division I program.

The win was the springboard to a 10-4 start for Gardner-Webb, which included wins over Yale, Furman and Murray State and a close loss at Virginia Commonwealth. Gardner-Webb reeled off 13 more wins in its final 18 games, finishing second in the 2002 National Christian College Athletic Association Tournament.

Scruggs, the 1999-2000 South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year has taken at least one team to the national tournament at each level he has coached during 16 years at the helm of programs ranging from the junior college level to an NCAA?Division II appearance in 1999-2000. the only tournament left is the "Big Dance", NCAA?Division One's 65-team national championship extravaganza.

Scruggs is a winner. And, not only does the Atlanta, Ga., native win, his teams do it with flair - often scoring points at a breakneck pace.

In 1999-2000, Gardner-Webb's final season at the Division II level, Scruggs' led his Bulldogs to a 25-5 mark and directed an offensive attack that led the Division II South Atlantic Conference in scoring with nearly 90 ppg. GWU also captured its first conference title since 1992 and first SAC?crown since the conference moved to NCAA?Division II?in 1993-94.

Not only were the 2000 Bulldogs among the nation's Division II?Top 25 for most of the season in the polls, the team also appeared in several national statistical categories. Scruggs' bunch finished seventh nationally in scoring offense (87.7 ppg), 12th nationally in scoring margin (12.9 ppg), 14th nationally in winning percentage (.833, 25-5) and 19th nationally in field goal percentage (48.6 percent).

Scruggs, a University of Georgia graduate (1979), is known as an outstanding motivator who is an exciting figure on the sidelines. His style of play is of the high-octane variety and his 1998 team set South Atlantic Conference records for three-pointers made (254) and attempted (759). The Bulldogs knocked down 237 three-pointers in 1999-2000, 313 in 2000-2001 and 271 in 2001-2002.

A devout Christian, Scruggs' involvement in religious and community projects such as his "Shooting for Christ"?ministry have proven to bring his players and staff closer to many in the community.

Scruggs has posted a career record of 331-258 during stops at GWU, Milligan (Tenn.), Pikeville (Ky.), Belmont Abbey (N.C.) and North Greenville College. During his time at Gardner-Webb, the Atlanta, Ga., native has won 136 games.

Prior to joining the Gardner-Webb family in 1995, Scruggs directed Milligan to a 24-12 record in 1994-95, leading the Buffs to their first appearance in the NAIA?Division II?National Tournament. The team, led by former GWU?assistant coach Chad Dollar, All-American Jason Pittser and former GWU?assistant Eric Richardson, averaged an eye-popping 93.7 ppg.

While at Pikeville in 1993-94, Scruggs' team let fly from three-point range for a school-record 943 three-point attempts. The team finished among the nation's Top 10 in scoring offense and were exciting to watch. Scruggs' final recruiting class with Pikeville was rated the nation's top effort by one national recruiting service.

Scruggs was named conference "Coach of the Year"?twice and NJCAA?Region X "Coach of the Year"?in 1989 while at North?Greenville College and his 1989 Mounties won a school-record 30 games and advanced to the NJCAA National?Tournament. That team finished the regular season with a No. 14 national ranking.

Scruggs' efforts at North Greenville were recognized in 1999, as he was inducted into the North Greenville College Sports Hall of Fame.

Scruggs received his Bachelor's degree from?Georgia in 1979 and a Master's in Sports Coaching from the United States Sports?Academy in 1989. His is married to the former Deanie Gissendanner of Columbia, South Carolina. The couple resides in Boiling Springs.