The College of Coastal Georgia Athletics Department is pleased to announce the addition of Cortney Sawyer as an assistant coach for the Mariners women's basketball program.
A native of Inverness/Hernando, Florida, Sawyer brings 14 years of coaching experience to Coastal Georgia. He played collegiately at Webber International University after a standout prep career at Lecanto High School, where he competed in both basketball and track and field.
Sawyer arrives at CCGA following two seasons at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, Florida, where he served as an assistant and head coach and helped guide the program to a 40-23 record. During his tenure, Cardinal Mooney captured the 2024-2025 state championship — the first in school history. Sawyer has coached numerous Division I, II and III-bound athletes and has helped more than 12 student-athletes earn opportunities to play college basketball. He has also coached AAU basketball with Southeast United 17U and Tampa Thunder 17U and has worked as a basketball trainer. Prior to his time at Cardinal Mooney, Sawyer coached at Trinity Catholic High School, St. John Lutheran School and Lecanto High School. In 2022, he received a MESPY Award for Outstanding Dedication and Commitment in Coaching.
"I'm excited to welcome Cortney Sawyer to Coastal Georgia as our assistant coach," said head coach Katie Novak-Lenoir. "Cortney has built a tremendous track record of success at the high school level, and I'm excited to give him the opportunity to bring that experience to the college game. He has a strong understanding of player development, recruiting, and what it takes to build a winning culture. Most importantly, he is a relationship-driven coach who cares deeply about the growth and success of his players. I believe his energy, experience, and perspective will be a great addition to our staff as we continue building Coastal Georgia women's basketball."
Outside of basketball, Sawyer enjoys discovering old music, spending time by the water, photography, exercising and time with family and friends.
Sawyer said the opportunity to join a program built on relationships, growth and competitive excellence was a major factor in his decision to come to Coastal Georgia. He also pointed to his return to the Sun Conference as an exciting part of the move, noting the added energy, challenge and visibility that come with competing in a strong, respected league. Beyond the competitive aspect, Sawyer said the people at Coastal Georgia — administration, athletes and staff alike — stood out as committed to building something meaningful, and he wanted to be part of that effort.
"I feel incredibly proud and excited to be a Mariner," Sawyer said. "Representing Coastal Georgia with pride and the opportunity to contribute to something bigger than myself and help build a culture that student-athletes, alumni and supporters can be proud of. What I look forward to most is building relationships with the student-athletes and helping them grow — not only as competitors, but as people. I'm also excited to compete, continue raising the standard of the program, and be a part of the Sun Conference again. There's a lot of momentum here, and I'm grateful to be part of it."
The Mariners women's basketball program will look to build on that momentum as it heads into the upcoming season with Sawyer now part of the coaching staff.
