Atlanta Dream hire longtime Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko to lead team

The Atlanta Dream managed to do what many other teams have tried over the years. They lured Karl Smesko away from Florida Gulf Coast.

Smesko was announced Wednesday as the new head coach of the Dream. He built FGCU into a perennial NCAA Tournament team and went 611-112 — an .845 winning percentage — in his 23 years as the school's first and until now only coach.

At the women's Division I level, only FGCU and UConn have won 25 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons.

“The W has intrigued me as a possibility for a long time,” Smekso said Wednesday. “When this opportunity came up, it really seemed like the right place and the right time. I had great conversations with the general manager and with their ownership and this is the right move for me right now.”