WSSU Names Dee Stokes Head Women’s
Basketball Coach
April 11, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Winston-Salem State University has
named Dee Stokes as its new head women's basketball coach.
Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell made the announcement
on Tuesday. Stokes replaces John Williams who was released
at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season.
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Dee Stokes |
Stokes has 12 years of coaching experience and spent the last
two seasons as an assistant under Bud Childers at Winthrop
University in Rock Hill, SC.
“We conducted an extensive search process, and from
that process, we had 53 very qualified candidates. The search
committee that was assembled for this hiring was extremely
excited about the quality of the candidates that the search
generated, and we are happy to bring in Dee as our new head
women’s basketball coach. We are happy that she brings
with her a Division I playing and coaching background and understands
what it takes to build a program, both academically and athletically.
I feel that she truly captures the vision the University has
about college athletics and how it relates to academics. She
brings with her a wealth of experience and ability both in
the coaching and teaching realm, but also in terms of recruiting
and all other facets that make an athletic program great.” Dr.
Caldwell said on Tuesday.
Stokes, who served as the head women’s basketball coach
at East Carolina University from 1998 through 2002, played
college basketball at Wake Forest University for two seasons
before transferring to UNC-Charlotte from where she graduated
in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. In December
of 2004, Stokes earned her Master's of Public Administration
from DeVry University.
Following her undergraduate graduation, Stokes entered the
coaching profession and held assistant coaching positions at
the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Murray State University,
Texas A&M University, and the University of Nebraska until
1998 when she was hired at ECU. During her five years as an
assistant coach, the schools at which she served made three
NCAA tournament appearances, captured two conference tournament
championships and one regular season title. Stokes helped to
lead ECU to three consecutive winning seasons from 1998 to
2001 marking the first time in 14 years that feat had been
accomplished. In 2001, she was selected to serve as an assistant
coach for the USA Basketball Team that captured the gold medal
at the World University Games in Beijing, China.
“I am grateful and I thank God for the opportunity that
Dr. Caldwell and Chancellor Martin have given me. I truly appreciate
their show of support for me, and I am excited to be the head
women’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University.” Stokes
said on Tuesday.
“I look forward to the challenge of taking this program
from its transitionary period into NCAA Division I. I think
that this will be a tremendous challenge, but one that I am
looking forward to. I can’t wait to get started.”
Stokes inherits a Lady Rams team that went 10-18 last season,
their final year in NCAA Division II and the CIAA. WSSU will
begin the second year of a five-year NCAA transition period
as the Rams and Lady Rams make the move to full NCAA Division
I member status during the 2009-10 season.
Stokes will commence her coaching duties at WSSU immediately.
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