After seeing several participants from its inaugural class advance to head coaching positions, the NCAA's Minority Coaches Series continued its professional development programming in 2018 by enhancing the skills of volleyball, women's basketball, and track and field coaches to increase their chances of becoming future head coaches.
The Minority Coaches Series, operated by the NCAA's leadership development group, is an exclusive yearlong professional development opportunity for minority assistant coaches in women's basketball, volleyball, and track and field. The series allows coaches to take a deeper dive into the world of college coaching through case studies, readings, continuing education and in-person programming, exposing them to the preparation it takes to obtain a head coaching position.
The NCAA collaborates with three affiliate organizations specific to each sport to select participants: The American Volleyball Coaches Association, Women's Basketball Coaches Association and USA Track and Field.
The Minority Coaches Series, which debuted in 2017, is one of the NCAA's newest leadership development opportunities. Over 35 percent of the members of the inaugural Minority Coaches Series class obtained head coaching positions within a year of completing of the program.
Visit here for more information on this program.
The Minority Coaches Series participants from 2018 and their current positions:
Volleyball
- Charita Stubbs, assistant coach, Arizona.
- Lea Taylor, assistant coach, Caltech.
- Malia Shoji, associate head coach, Utah.
- Sofia Sanchez, assistant coach, Butler.
- Verna Julaton, assistant coach, Charlotte.
Women's basketball
- Adria Crawford, assistant coach, Marshall.
- Andre Bolton, assistant coach, Georgetown.
- Aqua Franklin, associate head coach, Kansas.
- Clarisse Garcia, assistant coach, Auburn.
- Ganiyat Adeduntan, assistant coach, George Washington.
- Hernando Planells, associate head coach, Duke.
- Johnnie Harris, associate head coach, Mississippi State.
- Wanisha Smith, assistant coach, Towson.
Track and field
- Alishea Usery, assistant coach, Southern Illinois.
- Andrea Blackett, assistant coach, Azusa Pacific.
- Angela Williams, head coach, Prairie View A&M.
- April Thomas, assistant coach, Mississippi State.
- Cortney Stafford, assistant coach, Cal State Fullerton.
- LaTanya Sheffield, associate head coach, Long Beach State.
- Rosalind Joseph, director of track and field and cross country, Southern Illinois.
- Tramaine Shaw, head coach, Northeastern.