GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman forward Clare Coyle has been named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference team in balloting by league head coaches, and the Paladins are a fifth place pick in the coaches' preseason poll, it was announced today at the league's basketball media day at Greenville's Marriott Hotel.

Coyle, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla., is coming off a solid freshman campaign that saw her average 6.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 32 contests en route to earning SoCon All-Freshman Team honors. She tallied double figures in nine games, including 14 points against Samford, and registered five double figure rebounding performances, topped by a 13-rebound effort versus East Carolina.

She converted a jump shot with one second remaining to force a second overtime in an eventual 93-88 victory over Wofford at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Furman, which posted a 16-16 overall record a year ago, was picked fifth in the league's preseason poll, ahead of Samford, Western Carolina, and Mercer.  Chattanooga was the clear No. 1 pick, earning six first place votes and 48 points, followed by last year's regular season and tournament champion, UNC Greensboro, which polled two first place votes and 39 points, just ahead of third place East Tennessee State with 38 points.  Wofford was fourth with 28 points.

Under the direction of Pierre Curtis, who is entering his third year at the helm of the Furman program, the Paladins tip off the 2025-26 campaign on Friday, Nov. 3, when they play host to North Greenville in the first regular season contest in the newly renovated Timmons Arena, which underwent a $40 million renovation to turn the facility into one of the premier mid-major college basketball venues in the country. 

The renovation project, led by Ken Betsch & Associates and Harper General Contractors, was donor-funded with businessman and philanthropist Ravenel B. Curry III, a 1963 Furman graduate, providing the lead gift of $10 million to spearhead the project that was also generously supported by the Timmons and Pelham families in honor of their family's original commitment to the arena in 1997.

2025-26 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll 
Team (1st-place votes) Total 
1.    Chattanooga (6)  48
2.    UNCG (2) 39
3.    ETSU  38
4.    Wofford  28
5.    FURMAN  26
6.    Samford  19
7.    Western Carolina   14
8.    Mercer   12

2025-26 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year 
Caia Elisaldez, Jr., G, Chattanooga 

2025-26 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team 
Meghan Downing, Sr., F, ETSU 
Carmen Richardson, So., G, ETSU
Clare Coyle, So., F, FURMAN
Ariana Bennett, Sr., F, Mercer
Makiah Asidanya, Jr., G, UNCG
Jaila Lee, Sr., G, UNCG
Emily Bowman, R-Sr., C, Samford 
Gianna Corbitt, So., F, Chattanooga
Caia Elisaldez, Jr., G, Chattanooga 
Molly Masingale, So., G, Wofford