Less than 2 years after coaching college hoops in Florida, Karl Smesko leads Atlanta Dream to WNBA Finals

Karl Smesko enjoyed notable success during his time coaching the Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team.

But rather than remain at the college level, where he had built a powerhouse at FGCU, Smesko chose in pursue a new challenge in the WNBA .

When Smesko arrived at FGCU, the program competed in Division II.

By the time he left to become the next head coach of the Atlanta Dream , the Eagles had established themselves as one of the premier programs in Division I women’s basketball.

Under Smesko, FGCU routinely led the nation in 3-pointers made.

The Eagles also recorded eight 30-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA tournament 10 times with Smesko at the helm, but he never captured the ultimate prize: an NCAA Division I championship.

Perhaps the call about the opportunity in Atlanta came at just the right time for Smesko.

He may have accomplished nearly everything possible at FGCU, effectively reaching the program's ceiling.

ATLANTA DREAM ADVANCE TO WNBA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2018 WITH GAME 2 WIN Perhaps Smesko realized that his long-sought dream of hoisting a championship trophy would require him to step outside his comfort zone and take a chance with the actual Dream at the professional basketball level.

So far, Smesko’s gamble has worked out.

He has guided Atlanta to back-to-back 30-win seasons, and after a first-round exit last year, the Dream have swept their first two opponents in the 2026 postseason to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013.

The championship he was never going to get at FGCU is now four wins away, with the title series against the favored Golden State Valkyries set to begin on Saturday.

"As good as we were at Florida Gulf Coast, the odds were very stacked against us to make that type of championship run," Smesko said.

"In the pros, I definitely thought there was more of an opportunity.