After more than a month-long search, Dyersburg State has named Ryan Puckett as the new women's head basketball coach.

Puckett comes to Dyersburg State after one year as head coach at Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, Ky. Where he lead the Lady Cougars to a 9-22 overall record while playing in the tough, TranSouth Conference.

DSCC athletic director Alan Barnett believes out of the six to eight candidates for the position the administration has found the right man for the job.

"The search committee looked at all the applicants and felt that Ryan would be the best one of the group and we are excited to have him here at Dyersburg State," said Barnett. "I think we are all going to pleasantly surprised with the job that he does. He has a great work ethic and all the characteristics to turn the program into a winner.

The 28-year-old Puckett, originally from Hickman County in Middle Tennessee, is no stranger to the area after playing basketball and becoming a graduate assistant at Bethel. The new head coach believes recruiting players to join the Lady Eagle program should start right here in West Tennessee.

"Some of the best players in Tennessee can be found right here in the backyard and I look forward to talking to these kids about continuing their careers at Dyersburg State. I want to recruit kids from Tennessee to come here and it starts right here in Dyersburg.

Puckett said leaving Mid-Continent after one season was a tough decision to make, but one made based on what is best for his family that includes wife Michelle and 21-month-old son Colby, and for a bright future for the women's basketball program at DSCC.

"It wasn't easy to leave Mid-Continent but I felt like the move would benefit and be the best thing for my family," added Puckett. "Also, looking at the program I think there is a lot of untapped potential for success. This is a nice campus with nice facilities and I believe this is a very positive situation all the way around."

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Through the years the Lady Eagle program has not seen a lot of success as far as wins and losses, but Puckett believes with a lot of hard work and some solid recruiting things will begin to turn around.

"The biggest thing is we have to go out and get players that are capable of getting the job done. I've got a lot of contacts across the state of Tennessee that will help us, but we need to change the perception of the program in order to be successful and that will take some time but I'm excited to be here and look forward to the challenge ahead," said Puckett.