Former NT Womens BB Asst hired at TWU

OldTimer · July 18, 2003

Basketball: Trammell joins staff at TWU

Coach served stints at both Ryan, UNT

07/18/2003

By Chuck Cox / Staff Writer

Latricia Trammell will be staying in Denton after all.

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Latricia Trammell

Trammell, a former Ryan girls head coach and University of North Texas women’s assistant coach, has been hired by Texas Woman’s University as assistant basketball coach under head coach Devin Gabbard.

Trammell, who is originally from Oklahoma and began her coaching career there, chose TWU over Ohio University, which also offered her the same position.

"It’s very nice that they [TWU officials] made it possible for me to come to TWU," Trammell said. "They’ve done great things to let me know they’re dedicated to athletics there."

Trammell visited Ohio University although she had told TWU she would be accepting the job.

"I loved Ohio," Trammell said. "They offered me the job there, but I had already said I was going to come to TWU even though I hadn’t signed a contract. I wanted to keep my word."

Trammell was head coach of the Ryan Lady Raiders for three seasons from 1999-02.

She was 64-33 and led the team to the playoffs all three years, including a berth in the regional finals in 2000-01. She left Ryan to take a job as an assistant under Tina Slinker at UNT last year. The Lady Eagles went 12-16 last year.

"Latricia brings a lot to the table," TWU Director of Athletics Chalese Connors said. "We’re excited she applied. We did a national coaching search as usual, and she obviously moved straight to the top of the pile. She’s a very quality person."

Gabbard said he’s also pleased with the hiring of Trammell for several reasons.

"It’s a huge draw for our program," Gabbard said. "There are a lot of people who follow her career in Denton. Plus, she obviously already has contacts in the Denton area and also has access to a lot of Oklahoma coaches. We’ve never had access like that to those coaches as far as recruiting goes, not to mention the intensity and coaching experience she has. It’s a great hire."

In addition to her coaching duties, Trammell will also be home events coordinator for other TWU and high school sports held at the school.

"In Division II we do a lot of different things," Connors said. "Latricia is very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. ... It’s a win-win situation for both of us."

Trammell replaces Jill Davis, who is now an assistant at the University of Texas-Pan American. Trammell, who will be TWU’s only assistant coach, will also work with the posts during practice and will handle various other duties, such as scouting.

Trammell said coaching at TWU is another toward her ultimate career goal.

"My goal is to become a college head coach," Trammell said. "I’ve been at Division I, this is Division II and coach Gabbard recruits a lot from junior colleges, so I’ll get to experience that. It’s only going to make me better as a coach."

She also said staying close to home was a big factor in her decision.

"I love the community of Denton," Trammell said. "I don’t think it could get any better. People have been so supportive of me here. I would have hated to leave. Ohio is 20 or 24 hours away. I wanted to stay close to my family."