Behind coach Tierra Terry鈥檚 VUU basketball clipboard
RICHMOND, Va. — HBCU athletics are often overlooked due to the exposure to showcase talent on national platforms such as ESPN or CBS Sports. Most historical black colleges or universities in the 1960鈥檚 were the primary institutions of choice for African Americans.
Virginia Union University (VUU) is a historical black college which represents excellence, academics and accountability.
At VUU, the women鈥檚 basketball program is known to redefine their spirit by taking pride in winning. Since the establishment of the university in 1865, progress has followed in the women鈥檚 athletic department.
One African American woman is walking in her purpose to help lead a new roster after building a coaching record through basketball. In June, Tierra Terry became the ninth head coach to take over the women鈥檚 basketball program at VUU.
The Lady Panthers went 23-4 overall with a 12-0 home record for the 2019-20 season.
With the season set to return Nov. 12 against Shippensburg University, Terry, like many other African American women coaches, has a desire to capture a championship in Division II.
According to , Terry was an assistant coach for the women鈥檚 basketball program at The College of William and Mary before her current role as a head coach. With an impressive track record that dates back to her assistant coaching days at Winston-Salem State University, her HBCU roots are grounded in bringing the best out of athletes. If she didn鈥檛 work with guards and forwards to help hone their fundamentals, she implemented the importance of ball movement.
In the 2014-15 season, Terry helped the Rams to the second round of the CIAA Tournament while specializing in player development. A 41-winning team chance to go far resulted in a learned lesson Terry utilized moving forward. Before teaching the game of basketball, Terry was a member of the women鈥檚 basketball team for the Rams leading up to her final season in 2008. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology and went on to earn her master鈥檚 in psychology at University of West Florida in 2011.
According to , Bernadette Locke became the first African American woman to coach in Division I NCAA basketball. Locke and many others paved the way for Terry, who鈥檚 proven women can have their fair share in male-dominant spaces.
Education is important, and with a spirit of servitude, Terry was credited as a community member working with the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, women鈥檚 basketball mentor program and other various outlets to enact change.
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