Cecil Avant joined the Florida Tech Panther Basketball staff ahead of the 2025-26 season. Avant brings over 15 years of coaching experience, including high school, travel, college, and player development roles.
Head Coach Will Murphy on the hire of Cecil Avant, "We are thrilled to have Coach Avant on our staff at Florida Tech. He has already done a lot he the game of basketball. Coach Avant has been a head high school coach, ran an AAU program and worked in player development with some high-level players. He is sharp and brings great experience both as a coach and as a former athlete in the Sunshine State Conference."
Avant played collegiately at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2005-2007 and for SSC foe Nova Southeastern University in 2007-2008 where he was named team captain. Avant would eventually go on to play at Elms College in Chicopee, MA where he helped the Blazers win a conference title and received a NCAA tournament bid averaging 12 points, 4 assists and shooting 95% from the free throw line. After his playing career, Avant served as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.
Avant was named the Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at South Plantation High School from 2014-2020. After moving to Orlando in 2020, he became one of the founding members and Director of Player Development for Nona Basketball Academy, which had grown to over 200 players and 10+ competitive teams.
Avant coached both the girls and boys high school programs, helping several players go on to play at the college level, as well as running a player development program for all players in the academy.
Originally a South Florida native, Avant graduated from Cypress Bay High School in 2005. He currently lives in Palm Bay with his wife, Lorraine, and their two daughters, Jaida and Grace.
