RADFORD, Va. -- LaTanya Collins has been named women’s basketball assistant coach at Radford University, head coach Tajama Ngongba announced Thursday afternoon. Collins, a Richmond Va., native, will assume the role of assistant recruiting coordinator and camp director along with overseeing individual workouts for the Highlanders’ post players and guards.
“I am very delighted to have coach Collins on board,” commented Ngongba. “As a former head coach, she brings us a tremendous amount of experience in building a program, recruiting and player development. She also possesses a great basketball mind and I believe she is the perfect fit for the program and the University.”
Collins, who recently was a scout for the Carolina Scouting Report, brings past head coaching experience to the Highlander bench from Saint Augustine’s College (2007-08) and Southern Vermont College (2005-07).
In her most recent post at St. Augustine’s, Collins turned the program around in just one season. Inheriting a squad that posted a 6-22 record in 2006-07, Collins directed the Lady Falcons to an 18-10 mark, the fourth-best improvement among Division II institutions as well as the most total wins, conference victories and highest league finish since 1998. Off the court, her team recorded the second-highest GPA in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association).
Prior to St. Augustine, Collins directed Southern Vermont’s women’s hoops program along with acting as the athletic department’s senior women’s administrator. She took over the winless program in December of 2005 and guided the Mountaineers to the program’s biggest turnaround.
Before her arrival at Southern Vermont, Collins was an assistant at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., St. Augustine’s (2004-05) and her alma mater, Virginia State (2002-03). Collins’ responsibilities as an assistant included recruiting, planning team travel, academic advisement and guard development.
Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Collins made her coaching debut on high school level from 2000-2004. She was the head girls' varsity basketball coach and head boys' junior varsity coach at Charles City (Va.) High School from 2000-2003 and an assistant girls' basketball coach at Highland Springs (Va.) High School during the 2003-04 season.
A 2000 graduate of Virginia State, Collins earned a bachelor's degree in biology. She also holds memberships with the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).