Coaching while Black ‘is not easy’
This occasional series will highlight Black coaches at all levels of sport. This week: WBB head coaches Delaware State’s Jazmone Turner and Maryland Eastern Shore’s Malikah Willis.
Malikah Willis came to Maryland Eastern Shore last April with over 23 years of collegiate coaching experience. She has various roles, including lead recruiter at most of the 12 schools Willis has served as an assistant coach.
Before coaching, Willis played four years at Iowa, including on two Big Ten title squads, and graduated in 1998 with an art, media studies and African American world studies degree. Then she played overseas for three seasons before turning to coaching.
UMES is Willis’ first head coaching job. Her first season at “The Shore” ended with an 8-6 conference record, an 8-5 home record, and reached the MEAC tournament semifinals before losing to Howard and finishing 14-17 overall.
After that defeat that closed her first season, Willis told reporters including the MSR, “We got some tough players, and we have a tough coaching staff. There is no quit in them, and this is what you need at this time of year.”
Nine players from the UMES women’s team made all-MEAC All-Academic: juniors Lainey Allen, Brianna Barnes, Jayla Butler, Dakieran Turner and Aleah James; seniors Kiarra Kennedy, Amiaya Morgan, and Lesley Thomas; and sophomore Amira Ofunniyin.
Graduate students Mahogany Lester and Zamara Haynes represented the Hawks in the first-ever women’s basketball HBCU All-Star Game. She joined the squad in 2019 and has been a regular starter, starting 102 of 120 games, including all 61 games the team played across the last two seasons, setting a career-high 27.4 minutes per game, and career high in assists (45).
Willis pointed out that the future is bright for her Hawks. “It’s something that is talked [about] — you don’t wake up and be a champion. You have to learn how to lose games and win games.”
ACE Honor Roll
Duke’s Kara Lawson and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway were named to the Head of the Class on this year’s Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) Coaching Honor Roll.
ACE was conceived in 1994 and was modified and adopted by the old Black Coaches Association, later Black Coaches & Administrators in 2012. The nonprofit organization focuses on Black coaches and coaches of color in leadership, community, and professional development programming.
Nearly 25 women’s and 25 men’s college basketball coaches made the 2025 ACE Honor Roll in March, with Lawson and Hardaway leading the way.
“The College Basketball Coaching Honor Roll annually recognizes leaders in women’s and men’s college basketball that demonstrate tenets of coaching excellence…on and off the court,” said ACE CEO Kennedy D. Wells in a released statement.
“Coach Lawson is a tremendous role model, not only as a coach but also as a former student athlete [at Kentucky]. She is definitely a star in the making,” said Wells in a recent MSR interview. He added on Hardaway, “I definitely think he needs to be applauded.”
Also, two HBCU assistant coaches were recognized: Cayla Obillo (Talladega College WBB) and Montego Hoskins (Stillman College MBB) were added to the ACE Excellence Program alumni list.
“I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve been able to spotlight the HBCU community, not only these institutions but also those basketball programs, both on the women’s side and the men’s side,” said Wells.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.