Woodberry is excited to announce the appointment of Puff Summers ’01 as the head varsity basketball coach and program director and assistant director of admission in recruiting. This appointment follows the departure of Craig Dawson, who served as head coach for fourteen seasons and leaves as the winningest coach in program history. Craig leaves to take on a new role as varsity coach and middle school admissions director at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

 

Puff's basketball journey began right here at Woodberry, where he was a team captain and an All-State and two-time All-Prep League player. He also helped lead his team to the Virginia Independent Schools state tournament final in his senior year. After graduating in 2001, he went on to play at Davidson College before embarking on a professional career overseas, with stops in Ireland, Portugal, Australia, and England. 

 

When his playing days ended, he turned to coaching, spending more than a decade in high-performance environments at the national and international level. He served as an assistant coach for the Ireland Senior Men's National Team, program director for Kilkenny Stars Basketball Club, and head coach at Presentation Secondary School, where he was named Basketball Ireland School Coach of the Year this past season. He is also the founder and player development director of "Why Not Me?" Hoops. 

 

Puff’s impact on the Forest has already left a visible mark on the next generation of leaders. In the school's recent Shoulders We Stand On Project for OneWoodberry, we traced back the influence of several members of the class of 2026 back to Puff, proving his legacy was actively inspiring today's Tigers long before his official return home. 

 

“Puff’s undying love of basketball was obvious to anyone who knew him as a Woodberry boy. He worked at the craft of his game and was unyielding in his desire to improve. And he was also a Walker Scholar and a prefect. Puff’s credibility and his work ethic as a coach, a key piece of the admissions team, and a member of the faculty will translate to today’s boys who see him as a model of excellence. It’s a great joy to welcome Puff home to the Tiger Nation,” said Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 P’22.

 

Puff is ready for the role. “My heart is so incredibly full right now — coming back to the place that showed me how big the world was and how many opportunities were out there. This is the ultimate full circle moment for me. I am so excited to join the admissions team and to continue to build a basketball culture that Coach Dawson has done such a great job of cultivating. I am humbled and honored to come and serve the Woodberry community. I don’t know what the results will look like, but I do know that we will play incredibly hard and will strive to stay connected during the good and the bad days. I’ve met a few of the guys through Zoom, and honestly, I’m just eager to get to work!”