The first day of Black History Month 2025 was marked by a Big Ten women’s gymnastics meet in Los Angeles, where both UCLA and Michigan State had their share of Black gymnasts, with UCLA’s Madisyn Anyimi and Jordan Chiles both posting perfect 10 scores in their floor exercises.
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Omaha a leader in Black college coaching
Carrie Banks is in her fifth season as the head coach of the Nebraska Omaha women’s basketball program, making her one of the few all-Black coaching staffs in college basketball, while Leonard Hamilton retires after 22 seasons as the winningest coach in Florida State history.
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UCLA’s first Black coach underappreciated
UCLA’s forgotten legacy: Kenny Washington, the first Black head coach in school’s women’s basketball history
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Learning some basketball history a perk of LA visit
USC and UCLA, two schools steeped in basketball history, have a rich history of women’s basketball, with Cheryl Miller and Nikki Fargas being notable figures. USC is currently the first-place team in the Big Ten in various categories, while UCLA is the nation’s No. 1 team in women’s basketball.
Posted inCoaching while Black
For Denver coach Woods, ‘the game will always be more than basketball’
Denver WBB Coach Doshia Woods is making a positive impact on her players and the community, while also paving the way for future generations of Black coaches in the sport.
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Grace plans a graceful exit
Macalester College senior basketball player Robert Grace IV is using his final season to give everything he can for his teammates and has been hired as a full-time videographer for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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After hoops, careers in medicine
Macalester College basketball players, Peyton Starks and Sydnee Smith, are balancing academic and athletic pursuits, with both planning careers in medicine after graduation.
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Defending Black coaches against ill-informed critics
Coach Coquese Washington has been criticized by the media and fans for her decision to bench a freshman player, while Coach Ben Johnson is facing criticism for his team’s struggles this season.
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Underrated Summit League shows impressive coaching diversity
The Summit League has five Black head basketball coaches, which is more than the Big Ten and equals the Big East, and is underrated according to Denver WBB Coach Doshia Woods.
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Sports gambling is here to stay – As are drained household finances
Travis Singleton believes that sports gambling will not be going away anytime soon, as it is now more accessible and can generate tax revenue, but warns that it can become a problem if people gamble with high-risk money.
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The future of women’s sports is looking bright
Women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth and popularity, with the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL expanding and investing in infrastructure, and the future of women’s sports is bright as more people are paying attention and investing in the movement.
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Jackson State coach stays positive after Gopher rout
The Minnesota Gopher women’s basketball team played Prairie View A&M and Jackson State, while the men’s team hosted Morgan State, in a series of games against Black college teams, with the Gophers winning all three games.
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Remembering Brent Haskins and Al G. Frost: Two pillars of the local sports community
Brent Haskins and Al G. Frost, Jr. were two members of the community who excelled in their respective fields and left a lasting impression on those they met, with Haskins being an NBA advance scout and Frost being a prep player, college athlete, and coach.
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Coaches vs. Racism hosts first women’s classic
Darryl Woods, founder of Coaches vs. Racism, is using college basketball games to raise awareness about systemic racism and create meaningful conversations about how to impact and change society.
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The Barn evokes memories good and bad
Williams Arena, one of the oldest college basketball arenas in America, lacks recognition of its two all-time best guards, Archie Clark and Ray Williams, despite their solid NBA careers.
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Twins’ Diversity and New Ownership Take Spotlight as EIU Coach Aims to Upset Gophers in ‘Money Game
Marqus McGlothan, former assistant coach at Eastern Illinois, has been named interim head coach and is looking forward to his first matchup against the Gophers as HC.
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‘Binding Truth’ a story of race, justice, history
Louise Woehrle’s film “A Binding Truth” tells the story of a Black high school football player who transferred to a White school and was denied a spot on the state’s all-star game due to race, leading to one of North Carolina’s most volatile civil rights cases.
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New Gophers ready to show Minnesota what they can do
Lu’Cye Patterson, Femi Odukale, and Frank Mitchell are three of eleven newcomers on the Minnesota men’s basketball team, bringing a wealth of experience and physicality to the team.
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Sports analyst views games through coaching lens
Shimmy Miller, one of three Black females on BTN’s women basketball cadre of game and studio analysts, is grateful for her second career as a college basketball analyst and is excited to watch the Big Ten this season.
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Women coaches of color ‘dramatically underrepresented’ in U.S. colleges
The University of Minnesota Tucker Center’s latest report found that 174 institutions have zero women head coaches of color, while HBCUs have 13 of 15 institutions with 100% women coaches of color, and the Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti believes that diversity should lead to more opportunities for Black and women of color.