Record-Setting Florida Air Academy Basketball Coach Aubin Goporo Won Four 3A FHSAA State Titles
By Space Coast Daily // April 8, 2020
During his 15 seasons at Florida Air Academy, Aubin Goporo amassed a 355-52 record
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Following a highly successful coaching career in the high school ranks at Florida Air Academy, Aubin Goporo joined the Tennessee basketball staff in June of 2017 as Director of Player Development.
During his 15 seasons at FAA, Goporo amassed a 355-52 (.872) record while winning four 3A FHSAA state titles (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007).
His duties with the Vols include serving as a program liaison to the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center, coordinating community outreach and service efforts and serving as a student-athlete mentor for personal and professional development.
He also assists with on-campus recruiting efforts.
“Aubin is a great man—one of the finest individuals I know,” Barnes said.
“His influence on the character and development of our young men is going to be significant. He brings global experience and a unique perspective to our staff. This is a great addition to the culture of our program.”
Goporo, who served as the Director of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2016-17, spent 15 years at the helm of the boys basketball program at Florida Air Academy in Melbourne.
“To the numerous Falcon players who played at Florida Air Academy, those who’ve gone on to major college programs, the Olympians, and professional league players, I remain so very proud of you all, every day, because I know you are fulfilling your dreams,” said Goporo.
Goporo was a two-time Space Coast Coach of the Year and his teams at Florida Air Academy claimed the district title in each season during his tenure and made 10 regional final appearances as well as seven trips to the FHSAA Final Four.
A 1996 graduate from the Florida Institute of Technology, Goporo also served as Florida Air Academy’s athletic director from 2012-15. In that role, he oversaw 12 varsity and junior-varsity sports programs while managing the fundraising efforts and budgeting for the athletic department.
More than 40 of the players Goporo coached at Florida Air Academy would go on to sign with Division I schools, including Sasha Kaun (Kansas), Walter Hodge and Will Yeguete (Florida), Rihards Kuksik (Arizona State) and Alvin Cruz and Juan Mendez (Niagara).
Another of Goporo’s former players, Greek forward Ioannis Papapetrou, went on to play the 2012-13 season under Barnes at Texas.
A native of the Central African Republic, Goporo represented his home nation as a member of the national team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
He recently served as the head coach of the Central African Republic national basketball team, leading the team through group play at the 2015 AfroBasket—the continental championship of Africa—in Tunisia.
Goporo currently resides in Knoxville with his wife, Muriel.
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THE 2020 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Friday, May 8.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT the 2020 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME, call 321-323-4460 or 321-615-8111 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com
CLICK HERE TO SEE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME
The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced an impressive array of outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2020 Class of the Hall of Fame.
The 2020 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Sports Awards will be held Friday, May 8 at the Cocoa Beach Country Club.
The festivities include a meet and greet with the area’s sports royalty beginning at 6 p.m., and the dinner and induction proceeding will start at 6:45 p.m. and includes compelling video tributes of each of the inductees.
The 2020 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event, and the 2020 High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards, are sponsored by Health First, Erdman Automotive, All Points, Clear Choice Health Care, Savings Safari, Friday Night Locker Room and Rock Paper Simple.
The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame includes an impressive array of outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2020 Class of the Hall of Fame.
Dozens of nominees were considered in four categories including professional sports, college sports, high school sports and amateur sports.
Special honorary recognition will also be bestowed upon individuals and teams that have made significant contributions to sports on the Space Coast.
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Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and has so far inducted more than 160 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches and sports personalities.
Serving on the committee are Space Coast Daily President & Publisher Tom Palermo, Vice President Giles Malone, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jim Palermo, Managing Editor Zach Clark, the Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson and Orville Susong, former Health First COO Larry Garrison and Amateur Athletic Union Vice President Rusty Buchanan.
“The list of inductees for 2020 induction include athletes and coaches everybody knows – and some that may have been forgotten with the passing of time,” said Tom Palermo.
FOR INFORMATION about the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, or to make a reservation, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-615-8111.
SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Tim Wakefield talks about his induction into the first class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.
SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2020
• PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Jamel Dean, Football; Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Wrestling; Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Football; Mark Lake, Skateboarding; Juwaan Taylor, Football
• COLLEGE CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Derek Hamm, Football; Paulette King, Basketball; Dylan Lewis, Soccer; Melanie Murphy, Softball
• PREP CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Lexy Denaburg, Volleyball; Apryl Bigham Nickson, Swimming; Andi Sellers, Soccer
• AMATEUR/RECREATION CATEGORY INDUCTEE: Peter Blount, Track & Field; Karina Villegas, Sled Hockey; Caylor Williams, Wrestling
• COACHING CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Sean Ballard, Wrestling; Doug Butler, Cross County and Track; Aubin Goporo, Basketball; Gerald Hodgin, Football; Bill Sinclair, Softball; Don Smith, Basketball
• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEE: Loren McClanahan
• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEE: Clint Hurdle
• SPORTS OFFICIAL INDUCTEES: Ted Ruta
• SPORTS JOURNALISM INDUCTEES: Steve Vaughn
• SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD INDUCTEE: Congressman Bill Posey
• CHALLENGER AWARDS INDUCTEES: Brevard Special Olympics
• TEAM OF THE YEAR: 2019 Satellite High Cross Country
• LEGACY CHAMPIONS: TBA
• SPECIAL TRIBUTE: TBA
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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