Cleveland, GA – “We loved him and we would have run through a brick wall for him,” stated Ms. Martha Moss as she reflected on her time playing for Coach Colby Tilley. Ms. Moss is just one of the members of the 1980 NJCAA National Championship team who attended the Colby Tilley Celebration Dinner held on February 13, 2026. The room was filled with tears of joy and bright laughter as alumni, former players, and friends were reunited in honor of the coach who left a lasting legacy on Truett McConnell University’s athletics.
The words of Ms. Moss were echoed by anyone who played for Coach Tilley. Many recalled his “quotes of the day,” which were to be recited at the end of practice, and the way that he worked to unite the team. Over the course of his ten-year tenure at TMU, Coach Tilley led the women’s basketball team to five consecutive Georgia State Championships and into four national tournament appearances, including the 1980 NJCAA National Championship.
Coach Tilley’s career was successful wherever he went. Over the course of his career, he earned 15+ Coach of the Year honors and was inducted into the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Auburn University at Montgomery Sports Hall of Fame, the Kennesaw State University Hall of Fame, and the Truett McConnell University Hall of Fame.
The night of celebration marks a change for basketball at Truett McConnell University. The Benjamin F. Brady Arena’s court was renamed in honor of Coach Tilley, and an endowed scholarship for TMU women’s basketball in his honor was created. Tilley’s influence on TMU’s athletics continually resonates through the lives of the athletes he coached and the community he helped to shape, and the recognition serves as a sign of the deep appreciation that TMU holds for his service.
“There’s so many of you whose name could be on the court,” Tilley humbly stated in his acceptance, before asking for former players to stand.
Coach Tilley has remained near and dear to the university, and his praises were sung by all present, whether former colleagues or the players he led through their college years.
“He kept the calmest mouth and the cleanest attitude of any coach,” said Dr. Jerome Smith, retired professor of religion, “He was totally dedicated to his players.”
The love Tilley’s players had for him was not one-sided. The relationships that he had with his players and students had a lasting impact on his life, and Cleveland’s campus never left his heart.
“I was young myself, and they just made me feel almost like I was one of them. That was the most rewarding thing for me, you know, that we, today, are friends, fifty years later,” Coach Tilley stated, “Truett McConnell’s unique…It’s hard for me to explain what it meant to me, but my foundation, not only my foundation in basketball, but my foundation with the Lord is here in Cleveland.”
Truett McConnell University is a private Christian liberal arts and sciences university located in
Cleveland, Georgia, and has been ranked by Best Value Schools as the #1 Christian College in Georgia. TMU offers 80+ different programs of study including baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The University boasts a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio while 100% of incoming students receive financial aid. For more information about Truett McConnell University, visit www.truett.edu
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