Steve Calder enters his 12th season as Head Coach of the Women's Basketball team. In 2014-15, Calder became the ninth head coach of the Blazers since the program was introduced to intercollegiate basketball in 1974.
The 2024-25 campaign was a strong one for the Blazers who finished third in the Collegiate Conference of the South regular season standings and made a second straight trip to the CCS Tournament Championship. The Blazers went 17-10 overall and posted a 12-4 record in conference action which is their best mark under Calder. The Blazers also were just one of three teams in the CCS that beat every conference opponent at least once during the regular season, twice taking down the top team in the CCS standings on home court.
In 2023-24, the Blazers made a strong finish to the year as they went on an improbable run in the CCS Tournament and reached the conference championship game despite being the No. 6 seed. The tournament run included knocking off No. 3 seed Piedmont in double overtime at the Lions' home court before knocking off LaGrange in the CCS Semifinal.
During his first season as head coach, Calder saw success, with the team's first winning record in three seasons at 16-15. Calder led the Blazers to another winning season in 2016-17 as the Green and Gold finished with a 14-11 mark. Additionally, the Blazers earned the ASC-SAAC Team Sportsmanship Award in 2016-17.
Calder, a native of Atlanta, Ga., enters his eleventh year total as a member of the Belhaven Women's Basketball staff after serving four seasons as the assistant women's basketball coach for the Blazers under Rusty Cram and Billy Evans from 2010-14.
Since Calder joined the Blazers coaching staff in in 2010-11, the Women's Basketball program has gone 142-142, including a Southern States Athletic Conference Championship season in 2011-12, a SSAC West Division Championship in 2010-11, and a berth in the American Southwest Conference Women's Basketball Tournament in their first season of eligibility in 2019-20.
During his time with the Green and Gold, the Blazers have recorded five All-America awards and 15 SSAC All-Conference honorees, including two SSAC Player of the Year award winners and a Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, and four NCCAA Mideast All-Region winners. The Blazers have also seen seven players earn ASC All-Conference honors including Newcomer of the Year, and All-Defensive Team honorees. The Green and Gold have also had three National Scholar-Athlete winners and 20 All-Academic honorees at the conference level during Calder's tenure.
Calder joined the Belhaven women's basketball program after spending the 2009-10 season as the Assistant Women's Basketball coach with Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. While at Emory, he was responsible for implementing new offenses, post player development, along with local and national recruiting. Other duties included strength and conditioning, academic progress, scouting and game plan preparation.
Prior to joining Emory, Calder was an assistant coach with the boys' basketball team at Centennial High School, were he spent three seasons. During this tenure, the program reached its first three twenty-five win seasons as well as its first trip to the state playoffs.
Before coaching the boy's, Steve played a vital role in the development of the girls' basketball program. As an assistant with the girl's program, he once again saw success by helping bring the program its first three twenty win seasons. While serving as an assistant, Centennial had a combined record of 139-53.
Calder earned his Bachelor's degree from Troy University in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Sports Administration from Belhaven.
Steve and his wife Leah, a native to the Jackson area, have three children - Collins Isabella, Palmer, and Foster.
Collegiate Coaching Record
| Year |
School |
Record |
Conference Record / Finish |
Postseason |
| 2024-25 |
Belhaven |
17-10 |
12-4 / 3rd |
CCS Tournament Runner-Up |
| 2023-24 |
Belhaven |
10-17 |
7-9 / 6th |
CCS Tournament Runner-Up |
| 2022-23 |
Belhaven |
16-9 |
10-6 / 4th |
n/a |
| 2021-22 |
Belhaven |
10-11 |
5-10 / 8th |
n/a |
| 2020-21 |
Belhaven |
6-12 |
3-9 / 4th (E) |
n/a |
| 2019-20 |
Belhaven |
14-12 |
7-9 / 4th (E) |
n/a |
| 2018-19 |
Belhaven |
8-17 |
4-12 / 5th (E) |
n/a |
| 2017-18 |
Belhaven |
4-21 |
4-14 / 5th (E) |
n/a |
| 2016-17 |
Belhaven |
14-11 |
0-0 / -- |
n/a |
| 2015-16 |
Belhaven |
8-17 |
0-0 / -- |
n/a |
| 2014-15 |
Belhaven |
16-15 |
8-10 / 8th |
n/a |
| Total (11) |
|
123-152 |
60-83 |
|
Blazers Under Coach Calder
All-Americans
- Ariel Wilson
- NAIA All-America Third Team (2014-15)
All-Region
- Shantashia John
- D3Hoops.com Region VI Co-Rookie of the Year (2022-23)
- D3Hoops.com Region VI First Team (2022-23)
- Sierra Pittman
- NCCAA All-Mideast Region First Team (2016-17)
- NCCAA All-Mideast Region (2015-16)
- Samara Dingiswayo
- NCCAA All-Mideast Region Second Team (2016-17)
- Candler Gregory
- NCCAA All-Mideast Region (2015-16)
Conference Superlatives
- Ally Alford
- CCS Sixth Woman of the Year (2024-25)
- Shantashia John
- CCS Player of the Year (2022-23)
- Shomaria Overton
- ASC Newcomer of the Year (2021-22)
- Mariah Collins
- ASC East Division Newcomer of the Year (2019-20)
All-Conference
- 11 CCS All-Conference Selections
- 11 ASC All-Conference Selections
- 1 SSAC All-Conference Selections
Coaching Career Timeline
| Years |
School |
Position |
| 2014-pres. |
Belhaven (NAIA / Div. III) |
Head Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2010-14 |
Belhaven (NAIA) |
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2009-10 |
Emory (Div. III) |
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2006-09 |
Centennial (HS) |
Assistant Boy's Basketball Coach |
| 2003-04 |
Centennial (HS) |
Assistant Girl's Basketball Coach |
