Fred Applin

Fred Applin took over the reigns of the Charleston Southern women's basketball team in 2012, assuming the mantle of the 15th coach in program history after serving as an assistant with both the East Carolina and Wake Forest programs.

Applin boasts in impressive resume with experience in the ACC, Big 12, Pac 12 and Conference USA. He arrives in Charleston after spending two seasons in Greenville, N.C., where he was an assistant under head coach Heather Macy at East Carolina University. Applin served as the recruiting coordinator for the Pirates, corresponding with potential student-athletes, parents and high school and AAU coaches. He also assisted in all areas of the program, including scouting, coaching, academic support and game preparation. 

“Fred Applin is a great fit for Charleston Southern,” says Small. “He has outstanding Division I experience and has worked with some of the greatest coaches and players in the profession. He is known as an excellent recruiter and has head coaching experience as well. Most importantly, Fred will represent the University and its mission well to both our players and our community. We are very pleased to welcome him and Cora to the CSU family.”

Prior to his time in Greenville, Applin was an assistant at the University of Washington, where he also served as the recruiting coordinator. His 2008 recruiting class was ranked in the top 15 for HoopGurlz.com and was ranked one of the top five in the then-Pac-10 by the same organization. From 2004-07, Applin was the Associate Head Coach at Wake Forest University, where his recruiting classes were also highly touted. In 2006, his recruits ranked in the top 30 by Blue Star Basketball Report and in the top 25 of All-Star Girls Report’s rankings. He also helped guide the Demon Deacons to the Elite 8 of the 2005 WNIT. 

While serving as an assistant at the University of Texas (1998-2004), Applin signed three McDonald All-Americans (Nina Norman, Tiffany Jackson and Kalee Carey) as well as four Women’s Basketball Coaches Association/Nike All-Americans (Norma, Jackson, Carey and Erneisha Bailey). Three of his players – Jamie Carey, Jackson and Edwina Brown – went on to play in the WNBA. 

Applin, who served as the head women’s basketball coach at Hampton University from 1995-97, spent the first five years of his career at the University of North Carolina. While in Chapel Hill, Applin was responsible for signing big-name recruits like Sylvia Crawley, Tonya Sampson and Marion Jones to play for the Tar Heels.   

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the WBCA and Black Coaches’ Association, Applin dedicates time to his teams’ academic and community service efforts as well. Two of his teams in particular – ECU and Hampton – have been honored for their work in the classroom, as both teams boasted the highest team GPAs in respective program histories during Applin’s tenure.

A 1985 graduate of Elon College, Applin competed in both football and track & field for the Phoenix and was a member of the NAIA National Championship football team. He went on to earn his master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from North Carolina Central University in 1989. Applin and wife Cora have three children; daughters Anaiah and Hillary and son Michael.