Former NBA Player Roshown McLeod Named Varsity Basketball Coach at Fellowship Christian School

Jake Robertson Joins Roswell School as Associate AD; Ryan Baird, Tom Burns, Shawn Oliver and Tara Reeves Hired as Varsity Coaches

Former NBA player Roshown McLeod has been selected as the varsity boys’ basketball coach at Fellowship Christian School, it was announced Aug. 30 by Athletic Director David Lowery.

In addition, the school has hired Jake Robertson as associate athletic director, and the following head coaches: Tom Burns (varsity wrestling), Ryan Baird (varsity lacrosse), Shawn Oliver (varsity baseball) and Tara Reeves (varsity cheerleading).

“Few high schools have the opportunity to hire a basketball coach with the vast professional and college background that Roshown McLeod possesses,” Lowery said. “We are very fortunate to have Roshown lead our program and mentor our student-athletes. The school is blessed to have bolstered our coaching staff with these experienced and extremely dedicated coaches. Their goals are to develop our student-athletes both on and off the courts and fields.”

A first-round draft pick by the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in 1998, McLeod scored 817 points in 113 NBA games over three seasons with the Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. The native of Jersey City, N.J., was an All-American player and team captain under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University from 1997-98.

McLeod, who resides in Marietta, led the Blue Devils to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1997 and 1998, and was a teammate with Elton Brand and Shane Battier. He was a two-year starter at St. John’s University before becoming Krzyzewski’s first-ever transfer at Duke.

Following his professional career, McLeod has spent several seasons coaching scholastic and collegiate basketball. He led the Johnson Ferry Christian Academy team to a 48-21 record over a two-year span from 2014-16 and guided the team to the school’s first regional and state championships.

McLeod served as an assistant coach at Fairfield University, helping the team post a 19-12 record after three consecutive losing seasons. During his coaching career, McLeod also served as an assistant coach at Indiana University for three years from 2008-11, and served as head coach for St. Benedict’s Prep of Newark, N.J., where his inner-city school team posted a winning record while regularly facing national and regional powerhouses and established a team 3.0 GPA in 2011-12. He served as head coach of the Atlanta Celtics, an AAU team, from 2003-08.

McLeod earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Duke in 1988.

Robertson, who will also serve as defensive coordinator of the FCS varsity football team, spent the last three seasons as a graduate assistant football coach at Reinhardt University. In 2013, he was part of the Reinhardt staff that was named the All Conference Coaching staff.

A two-time All Southern Athletic Association Conference defensive player at Birmingham Southern College, Robertson helped the Panthers capture the 2012 Conference Championship.

He played four seasons at the Birmingham school with Jimmy Stainback, an FCS graduate and current varsity offensive coordinator/strength and conditioning coach for the Paladins.

Robertson graduated from BSC in 2013 with a degree in educational service, and has spent two years working towards his master’s degree at Kennesaw State from 2014-15.

Baird played collegiate lacrosse at Shorter University. A graduate of McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Baird joined FCS as an associate head coach last season. He guided the Paladins to a 9-5-1 record in 2016.

Since 2014, Baird has also coached lacrosse for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He graduated from Shorter with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in education in 2015.

Burns joined the FCS athletic department’s game-day operations team, and was an assistant coach for middle school wrestling, and varsity and middle school track & field last season.

Burns, who teaches psychology and Bible at FCS, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University with a double minor in Economics and Entrepreneurship & Management.

An actor, Burns has spent two years participating in the Sanford Meisner Approach training program, and has completed Part 1 of the True Acting Institute’s Meisner Performance and Teaching Program.

Oliver, who enters his fourth year in education, served on the staff of the 2015 FHSAA State Championship Football team, and the 2016 District Championship Baseball team at University Christian School (Jacksonville, Fla.).

As a player, Oliver was named All Clay County Baseball Team in 2005, and was a four-year letterman in football, basketball and baseball in high school.

Oliver earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Management and Policy from the University of Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of North Florida.

Reeves, who serves as the FCS high school attendance coordinator, has spent six years in education, including three years as a third-grade teacher at FCS from 1994-1997.

Reeves, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Georgia, served as middle school Bible study teacher at FCS from 2013-16. She served as team mom for the FCS middle school cheer team in 2012, and was a member of the women’s ministry team at Alpharetta Baptist Church from 2010-12.

Reeves’ two children (London and Murphy) attend FCS.

About Fellowship Christian School (http://www.fellowshipchristianschool.org/)

Fellowship Christian School’s mission is to partner with Christian parents in the education of their children in order to raise up generations of students who embrace Biblical truth, strive for academic excellence, demonstrate discipline, and exhibit leadership and influence in their homes, churches, and communities.

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