Northwestern taps former NC state champion as new boys’ basketball coach

By Langston Wertz Jr.

Updated May 12, 2025 9:43 PM

Former Olympic High boys’ basketball coach Ty Baumgardner is returning to the Charlotte area.

Baumgardner, who led Olympic to a 30-0 record in the 2012-13 season, has been named head coach at Rock Hill’s Northwestern High School.

Olympic High has the best basketball team its ever had this year with five Division 1 recruits (L-R) Al Freeman (30), Josh Smith (32), Deriece Parks (2), head coach Ty Baumgarner, B.J. Gladden (24) and John Brown (33). Jeff Siner - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

Baumgardner most recently coached at Collins Hill High in Georgia and has also coached winning teams at Westwood (SC), Jackson County (GA) and Topeka (KS) High School.

Baumgardner has been named a region or conference coach of the year eight times and he’s coached seven all-state players and one All-American. He’s sent more than 50 players to college on scholarship.

His best team was in Charlotte, where Olympic won the 2013 N.C. 4A state championship and Baumgardner was named the 2013 N.C. Associated Press coach of the year.

▪ Baumgardner will be introduced during a news conference at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the F-Gym mezzanine at Northwestern.

This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 9:36 PM.

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