GREENSBORO, N.C. -- UNC Greensboro (UNCG) head coach Trina Patterson has been named to the Black Coaches Watch List, assembled by Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS). The list consists of 30 rising assistant coaches in men's and women's basketball and 30 mid-major head coaches who are deserving and prepared to take the next step in their careers.
Patterson is in her fifth year at UNCG.
UNCG has won at least 20 games in two of the last four years, including a Division I program best 23 victories in the 2019-20 season, which was the third best Division I turnaround in women's basketball nationally.
Overall during her decorated head coaching career, Patterson has guided numerous players to America East, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Pac 12, Conference USA and Southern conference honors, among those a conference player of the year rookie of the year, and members of all-conference, all-rookie, all-defensive, all-academic and all-tournament teams.
Named the 2019-20 SoCon Coach of the Year for the second time in four years, Patterson guided the Spartans to one of their finest seasons in program history. In leading UNCG to its first Regular Season conference title since 2002, the Spartans advanced to the conference tournament championship contest.
The list was created in response to Dr. Richard Lapchick's annual TIDES 2020 Racial & Gender Report Card (RGRC) in college sports that showed that men's and women's head basketball coaches of color were not representative of the population served.
"After reading through the RGRC Report Card in college sports, it continues to show us why organizations like ABIS (Advancement of Blacks In Sports) are needed," ABIS founder Gary Charles said. "While we continue to hear we are making progress in the sports world, it is not enough. Since we have well over 50% of minorities playing in such top sports like football, basketball, and track & field, we are not asking schools to do us a favor and give us an interview, we are saying we have earned the right to have a seat at the table or rather on the sidelines."
This ABIS Black Coaches Watch List will be shared annually with Athletic Administrators and Executive Search Firms prior to the start of the hiring cycle.
UNCG opens the 2021 Ingles Southern Conference Championship presented by General Shale Brick against Wofford on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 2:15 p.m.