Whiteville High grad Robert Penny has been named assistant basketball coach at Auburn University- Montgomery.
The announcement was made this week by the Warhawks head men’s basketball coach Michael Cheaney.
Penny had served as a graduate assistant coach at East Carolina University under Coach Jeff Lebo. During his time with the Pirates, Penny oversaw student-athlete academic progress, monitored scout team activites and helped with scouting opponents, individual and team drills, coaching clinics, team camps and film evaluation.
“Coming from East Carolina under Coach Lebo and having the opportunity to coach at the Division 1 level made Coach Penny stand out in a strong pool of candidates,” said Coach Cheaney in an Auburn-Montgomery press release.
“Having played professional baseball, he understands the discipline, work ethic and maturity it takes to succeed at a high level,” Cheaney continued. “Academics are very important at AUM and he has experience helping student-athletes in the classroom. He has the passion to grow and eagerness to learn in order to achieve his goal of being a head coach at the highest level.”
“I am extremely excited about being at AUM,” said Penny in the press release. “Montgomery is a great area and AUM has a reputation athletically, as well as academically, of being a great university where student-athletes and coaches can be successful.”
“Working with Coach Cheaney is an opportunity that I am extremely grateful to have,” added Penny. “He is synonymous with winning and producing quality student-athletes on and off the court. Coming from East Carolina, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a coaching staff that took pride in the development of young coaches and I cannot thank them enough for mentoring me and allowing me to learn from their coaching experience and develop my own identity as a coach.”
Penny graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in American history and from East Carolina University in 2016 with a master’s in sports management.
Penny was drafted in the 36th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals and spent three seasons as a pitcher in the organization advancing as high as Double A.
Penny also served as an assistant boys basketball coach at Elizabethtown Middle School under for two years. The Cougars won back-to-back Bladen Five Conference and Tournament titles during those two years.
Penny is the son of Phillip and Sharon Penny of Whiteville. Sharon Penny is the Finance Officer for Bladen County Schools, and Phillip is Alternative Learning Director at West Bladen High.
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