Custom Search ELIZABETH CITY, NC- Elizabeth City State University has announced the hiring of Laquanda Dawkins as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program. Dawkins comes to ECSU after a one year stint as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University. She succeeds Ron "Bootsy" Woodard, who was head coach last season.
Dawkins
“Coach Dawkins is a gifted coach whose track record of success is a testament to her energy and commitment to student-athletes”, says ECSU Athletic Director Derrick Johnson. “I am sure that her presence and leadership will create momentum and a new energy in ECSU women’s basketball.” Coach Dawkins earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education, exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1999 and later received a Master of Science in physical education at Florida International University in 2006.
Dawkins played as a member of the Tar Heels from 1995-99. UNC-Chapel Hill won three Atlantic Coast Conference championships during Dawkins’ tenure. She was also named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and received the Coach’s Award for her efforts during the 1998-99 season.
Before the year at TTU, she was the head women’s basketball coach at Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), a NAIA Division I University where she also served as the department's Champions of Character liaison. SPSU, a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) was undefeated (15-0) at home during the 2013-14 season and posted an impressive 26-1 on their home court in her final two years as the head coach. SPSU ranked Number 29 nationally in the 2014 NAIA Division I coaches' poll and made their four trips in the last five years to the NAIA Division I national tournament Dawkins guided Southern Poly to three NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship appearances in her four seasons and compiled a 83-43 overall record.
During her tenure at SPSU, Dawkins coached three NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball All-Americans, an All-America Honorable Mention, several SSAC Player of the week honorees, a SSAC Defensive Player of the Year, multiple All-SSAC conference team members and four SSAC Champions of Character team honorees.