Brenau University basketball coach Gary Bays has resigned his position as head coach of the Brenau University Golden Tigers basketball team after five years with the program. Bays started the program in 2006 and coached the team through its first five seasons.  He compiled an overall record of 73-79 and 32-51 in Southern States Athletic Conference play. Under his direction, the team qualified for the postseason conference tournament in each of their last three years. 

"Coach Bays has done a great job building our basketball program and laying the foundation for what we anticipate will be a tremendously competitive program at both the conference and the national levels," said athletic director, Mike Lochstampfor. "We truly appreciate his efforts during his tenure as coach of our basketball program."

The search for his replacement will begin immediately, the school announced Monday.

The Golden Tigers narrowly missed qualifying for the conference tournament this season as they closed out the year with a 13-16 overall record and a 5-11 slate in the SSAC.The team completed the 2010-11 season on Saturday following a narrow loss on the road at conference foe Southern Wesleyan University. 

During his 30-year collegiate coaching career, Bays racked up more than 475 wins and took four teams to national tournaments.  Prior to coming to Brenau, Bays helped build the women's team at Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla., and guided the Lady Royals to three straight NAIA National Tournaments. 

Earlier, he coached the men's team at Montana State University-Billings and both men's and women's teams at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore.