Meet Our
Founder
The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they lead and understand that the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest. It’s about them, not you.
Throughout her coaching career Dawkins has displayed a quiet intensity that drives her and helps her drive her teams, staff and teammates to greater heights.
Dawkins has a wealth of experience at major programs, and is a skilled and effective leader who understands, supports, and will advance the mission, values and vision of Ball for life.
She takes pride in the program’s success and well-being of our students and athletes, in the classroom, in their sport, and in the community.
Her women’s basketball tenure features stops in North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Jacksonville University, Elizabeth City State, Tennessee Tech, Southern Polytechnic State University, Winthrop, Florida International and Iowa.
Dawkins worked as an assistant coach under legendary basketball coach Jim Davis at Tennessee Technological University in the 2014-15.
Dawkins’ career is decorated by stops at Elizabeth City (2015-16) and SPSU (2010-14) where she served as the head coach of the women’s basketball programs. She guided Southern Poly to three NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship appearances and compiled an overall record of 83-43.
During the 2013-14 season, SPSU boasted an impressive 15-0 mark at home, en route to a 26-1 record in Dawkins’ final two years as its head coach.
Dawkins’ squad went 23-8 overall, including 16-4 in conference games for the outright SSAC Eastern Division title and an automatic berth to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship. It marked Southern Poly’s fourth appearance at the NAIA Division I national tournament in the last five years.
Prior to joining the Hornets, Dawkins was the recruiting coordinator at Winthrop for four campaigns from 2006-10. Her admirable recruiting
skills and on-court coaching duties helped the Eagles achieve one of their best seasons in school history, which featured an appearance in the 2009 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. In 2009-10, Winthrop finished sixth nationally in field goal percentage and 25th in scoring defense. During her time with the Eagles, they posted back-to-back winning seasons in the Big South Conference for the first time in the history of the program. In 2007-08, Winthrop ended third in the country in defensive field goal percentage, had its best start in school history as a NCAA Division I program and established a school record for wins (20) in a season at any level. Also when Dawkins was with the Eagles, they finished above .500 in conference play for the first time and appeared in three straight semifinal games of the conference tournament.
From 2003-06, Dawkins was the recruiting coordinator at Florida International University. In her three seasons there, Florida International compiled 48 wins and the 2005-06 team, behind the firepower of first team all-conference selection Lasma Jekabsone, advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and made a fifth appearance in the WNIT. The Golden Panthers hosted their second postseason game in 2006, a preliminary-round, overtime victory over the Big East Conference’s University of Cincinnati before falling at crosstown rival the University of Miami in the following round.
Prior to taking the position at FIU, Dawkins’ first four years out of college were spent on the coaching staffs at Gardner-Webb University and the University of Iowa, where she helped lead the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Conference Tournament title in 2001.
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.
She suited up for the Tar Heels from 1995-99, and helped the team to three Atlantic Coast Conference championships. She was also named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and received the Coach’s Award for her efforts during the 1998-99 season.
Originally from Shelby, North Carolina, Dawkins has had her high school jersey retired by Crest Senior High School.
DAWKINS’ RECORD AS A COLLEGIATE HEAD COACH
Season
i. 2010-11
ii. 2011-12
iii. 2012-13
iv. 2013-14
v. 2015-16
Five Seasons
School
i. Southern Poly
ii. Southern Poly
iii. Southern Poly
iv. Southern Poly
v. ECSU
Two Schools
Overall
i. 29-5
ii. 6-24
iii. 25-6
iv. 23-8
v. 8-18
91-62
Conference
i. 14-2
ii. 4-15
iii. 15-4
iv. 16-4
v. 4-12
53-37
Professional Development
FEATURED ARTICLES
Tennessee Tech Assistant Coach
Head coach Jim Davis has announced the addition of assistant coach Laquanda Dawkins...
ECSU Women's Basketball Coach
Elizabeth City State University has announced the hiring of Laquanda Dawkins as the new head coach...
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
The Jacksonville University women's basketball team welcomed Laquanda Dawkins to its...