Former NBA Player Marreese Speights Named Head Coach at Polk State

Marreese Speights, a former Golden State Warriors player and long-time NBA big man, has been appointed as the new head coach for the Polk State Eagles basketball team. This move marks his entry into college-level head coaching after a diverse career in professional basketball and various coaching roles. Speights played ten seasons in the NBA, including a championship-winning stint with the Warriors from 2013 to 2016, where he was known as "Mo Buckets" for his scoring ability off the bench. Following his playing career, which also included time overseas in China, Speights transitioned into coaching. He founded the Speights Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2021, served as an assistant at Georgia Southern, and worked as the Director of Player Development at the University of South Florida. Most recently, he held his first head coaching position at Northside Christian School in Pinellas County, Florida, in 2025. Now, he will lead the Polk State Eagles in Winter Haven, Florida, bringing his extensive experience from both the professional and amateur levels to the college ranks.