Dalton State College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Alex Ireland was recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) with the 2024-25 Coach of Character Award for deliberately teaching character to student-athletes through sport.
“Like in all things, character shines in adversity, and I have always been impressed with Coach Ireland’s gracious approach to his players, the other team, and their coach,” John Fuchko, president of Dalton State said. “I have seen Coach Ireland and his team win tough games but have also seen him lose some tough games, and in those times of adversity, he reveals his inner strength of character and a true sense of kindness that makes him absolutely worthy of this honor.”
Ireland, who is in his eighth season as head coach at Dalton State, was selected from among coaches representing more than 200 colleges and universities across the country for exemplifying the core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
“I strongly believe that better people make better players; therefore, character development is a major focus of our program,” Ireland said. “We aim to build champions on the court and in life.”
For Sean Cranney, Dalton State alumnus and former player, Ireland’s support changed his life after the coach noticed he was struggling with securing an internship needed as part of his academic coursework at Dalton State.
“Coach Ireland immediately reached out to community members,” Cranney said. “Within days I was back in front of decision makers. That conversation led to my employment and set me on a path to my career. I’ll always be grateful.”
Ireland takes a deliberate approach to teaching character to his athletes by integrating life lessons into every aspect of the team experience. He assigns readings from books like Grit by Angela Duckworth and incorporates team discussions on applying principles of perseverance in life and basketball. He holds weekly one-on-one meetings with each player, focusing on life, family and academics rather than basketball.
“When challenges come up, we talk about overcoming them with integrity,” Ireland said.
Ireland was named the 2024-25 Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Roadrunners to a regular season championship, and he holds a 125-76 record as head coach at Dalton State.
The Roadrunners will open the 2025-26 season on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in Bandy Gymnasium. To learn more about Dalton State’s men’s basketball or to purchase tickets, visit dsroadrunners.com.
