BALTIMORE, Md. (May 16, 2023) -- Morgan State University acrobatics and tumbling associate head coach Perrmella Harris is set to attend the 52nd class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) and the 6th class of the NCAA Academy 2.0 hosted by WeCOACH in Denver, Colorado from May 21-24, 2023. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Women Coaches Academy, made possible through a longstanding partnership with the NCAA.
Highlighting these two Academies is keynote speaker, Dawn Staley, Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of South Carolina. Coach Staley is a two-time national champion coach and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She's one of the most decorated participants in United States women's basketball history having won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head coach of another U.S. gold-medal winning team.
"I am super excited to be the Associate Head Coach for the first HBCU Division 1 Acrobatics & Tumbling program," said Harris. "Our program will break through the glass ceiling with perseverance, and determination. Our goal is to continue to strive for excellence and bring athletic honors to Morgan State University because our student-athletes deserve the best."
"Being selected to join the 2023 NCAA Women's Coaches Academy is truly a blessing," Harris added. "It was a highly competitive application process with over 250 applications received, but only 102 women coaches across 22 different sports representing NCAA Divisions I, II & III, NAIA as well as national and international teams."
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, a record-setting 102 women coaches, of all experience levels and sports, will be participating in WCA Class #52. NCAA Academy 2.0, a master learning program, will feature 20 coach participants. The classes include representation from NCAA Divisions I, II and III as well as NAIA, community colleges, the U.S. national team, and internationally.
"The NCAA is excited to partner with WeCOACH on the 2023 NCAA Women Coaches Academy programs, where some of the most talented collegiate women's coaches will have the opportunity to elevate their leadership skills and hear the experiences of championship coaches," said DeeDee Merritt, Director of NCAA Leadership Development. "The Women Coaches Academy and the Academy 2.0 programs provide today's coaches with enhanced strategies and operations they can use during their season that may also translate to better student-athlete experiences. We look forward to engaging with the coaches as they work toward their professional and personal development."
Over 2,100 graduates have participated in the NCAA WCA, a program designed for women coaches to elevate their holistic coaching effectiveness by learning advanced leadership skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success. Participants focus on non-sport-specific concepts in an environment that fosters inclusion across the sports community. The NCAA Academy 2.0, exclusively created for WCA graduates, is a master-learning opportunity in a small class setting that progresses on the leadership, strategies, and knowledge gained from their WCA experience.
WeCOACH septupled (multiplied by seven times) Academy scholarships funding provided to this year's participants thanks to generous funding from Hudl, Endeavor, Natasha Watley Foundation, along with numerous individual donors. In addition, the United States Marine Corps have partnered to sponsor this year's Academy graduation ceremonies and will feature a Marine representative offering closing remarks to both classes.
"The Academy experience is truly magical in terms of the powerful knowledge gained and lasting relationships formed. Our graduates leave feeling empowered, inspired and motivated to be the best possible leaders for the student-athletes they coach, and the data demonstrates our Academy graduates remain in the coaching profession at a higher rate than the national average. Our staff and Board have once again assembled a stellar lineup of faculty to pour into the participants and we look forward to unveiling some new traditions as part of our WCA 20th anniversary celebration," said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH.
WeCOACH thanks the NCAA for its longstanding support of these transformational programs along with this year's partners: Marines, Hudl, Endeavor, Truist, Gatorade Performance Partner, Athlete Assessments, The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Human Kinetics, Natasha Watley Foundation, and The Sports Bra Project.
May 24-26 NCAA Women Coaches Academy Class #51 participants
Taylor Anderson, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Dawn Barnes, South Carolina State University, Head Coach, Volleyball
Kristen Bourne, The College of Saint Scholastica, Assistant Coach, Skiing
Noelle Brouillard, Whitworth University, Head Coach, Lacrosse
Sarah Brown, Penn State University, Head Coach, Gymnastics
Jackie Bruno, Cal Poly Pomona, Assistant Coach, Soccer
Kelsey Christensen, Providence College, Assistant Coach, Softball
Pietie Coetzee-Turner, University of Massachusetts, Assistant Coach, Field Hockey
Jill Conroy, Stevens Institute of Technology, Associate Head Coach, Basketball
Chrissi Ekhomu, North Central College, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Lucienne Ford, Brandeis University, Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field
Whitney Frary, St. Olaf College, Head Coach, Soccer
Emma Gerhold, Loyola University (MD), Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field
Jacquelyn Gnassi, Stevens Institute of Technology, Assistant Coach, Soccer
Nicole Graham, Clark Atlanta University, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Jackie Guillemette, Bentley University, Assistant Coach, Field Hockey
Maya Hayes, University of Minnesota, Assistant Coach, Soccer
Zoe Hererra, Cal Poly Pomona, Assistant Coach, Volleyball
Erin Hughes, Washington and Lee University, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Dr. Ashely Johnson, Clark Atlanta University, Head Coach, Volleyball
Ka'lia Johnson, University of Richmond, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Mary Johnston, Macalester College, Head Coach, Volleyball
Lela Knight, Randolph College, Graduate Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field and Lacrosse
Olivia Leavitt, Colgate University, Assistant Coach, Tennis
Beth Lebel, University of New Mexico, Assistant Coach, Soccer
Mallikah Little, Ole Miss, Assistant Athletic Director for Player Personnel, Football
Maria Lopez, Boise State University, Associate Head Coach, Tennis
Lindsay Mapes, Oberlin College, Assistant Coach, Softball
Molly Marrin, Regis University, Head Coach, Basketball
Courtney Materazzi, Cal State Monterey Bay, Head Coach, Volleyball
Abby McClure, Hartwick College, Director of Operations, Lacrosse
Kaitlin Nielsen, University of Kansas, Assistant Coach, Volleyball
Camise Patterson, Florida A&M University, Assistant Coach, Softball
Stephanie Perez, San Francisco State, Assistant Coach, Basketball
Cassi Pickett, Lynn University, Head Coach, Softball
Emily Powers, Belmont Abbey College, Head Coach, Acrobatics & Tumbling
Margot Royer-Johnson, Providence College, Head Coach, Volleyball
Emily Scheese, CSU Maritime Academy, Head Coach, Soccer
Leslie Smith, Providence College, Assistant Coach, Field Hockey
Donika Sutton, Tennessee State University, Head Coach, Volleyball
Tara Turner, Clark Atlanta University, Head Coach, Tennis
TaCho Tyler, Prairie View A&M University, Head Coach, Volleyball
Jess Weiss, Randolph-Macon College, Head Coach, Field Hockey
Kayla Wilhelm, Randolph College, Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field
Kaye Zoolakis, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Assistant Coach, Swimming & Diving
May 21-23 NCAA Academy 2.0 Class #6 Participants:
Dawn Barnes, Upward Stars Columbia VBC, Head Coach, Volleyball
Noelle Brouillard, Whitworth University, Head Coach, Lacrosse
Christine Clancy, Washington and Lee University, Head Coach, Basketball
Pietie Coetzee-Turner, Wake Forest University, Associate Head Coach, Field Hockey
Angela Dendas-Pleasant, Lewis & Clark College, Head Strength Coach, Strength & Conditioning
Lilia Dosalmas, University of California Santa Cruz, Head Coach, Soccer
Ashley Johnson, Colorado College, Assistant Coach, Lacrosse
Szandra Kiss, Arizona State University, Assistant Coach, Water Polo
Olivia Leavitt, Lehigh University, Head Coach, Tennis
Laura LeDuc, Trojan Aquatics, Head Coach, Aquatics & Water Polo
Justine Lombardi, St. Francis Brooklyn, Head Coach, Soccer
Amy Long, Saint Mary's College, Head Coach, Lacrosse
Kat Mertz, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Head Coach, Soccer
Camise Patterson, Florida A&M University, Head Coach, Softball
Jen Scanlon, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Head Coach, Soccer
Emily Schmit, California State University, Monterey Bay, Head Coach, Water Polo
Abbey Sutherland, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Head Coach, Volleyball
Donika Sutton, Tennessee State University, Head Coach, Volleyball
Benay Weintraub, Caltech, Head Coach, Tennis
Kari Williams, Rutgers University, Head Coach, Golf
For more information about our NCAA Women Coaches Academy, please click here. If interested in funding an Academy Scholarship, click here.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for more than half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes.
About WeCOACH
Founded in 2011, WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs. Prior to Title IX, over 90% of women's collegiate sports teams were coached by women. Today, 50 years later, data indicates that number has decreased to a stagnant 41% in all three NCAA Divisions, with only 7.3% women coaches of color. Five percent of women coach men's teams, and at the youth level, the data is hard to estimate, approximately less than 20% of teams are coached by women. As part of its year-long Title IX 50th Anniversary campaign, WeCOACH launched MOVE the NUMBERS to help change the landscape for women coaches and to impact history for the next 50 years. For more information, visit wecoachsports.org/50th.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
