Zack Ciboth, Sports Editor
A familiar face will return to the sidelines next season for the UNC Pembroke Women’s Basketball team. Monday afternoon the members of the athletic department alongside Athletic Director Dick Christy and UNCP Chancellor Robin M. Cummings to announce the programs 10th head coach.
Kendra Samuels-Eaton returns home back to Pembroke after spending the past two seasons at Western Carolina serving as the associate head coach at Western Carolina which so happens to be her alta mater. Prior to take the job at Western she was an assistant coach under John Haskins for three seasons on the Black & Gold coaching staff. Samuels-Eaton will now take the reins from Haskins, who announced his retirement this past season.
During those three seasons on the Black & Gold staff she played key roles in the recruitment of Zaria Clark and Kelci Adams who will be seniors for the Braves next season. She also helped recruit seniors Aniah McManus, Alcenia Purnell, Courtney Smith.
Christy spoke on the selection process and what made Samuel-Eaton the choice.
“I’m thrilled that Kendra has agreed to come and lead our Braves Basketball program,” said Director of Athletics, Dick Christy. “She has prepared herself for this moment at every step of her career and no one is more ready to provide a wholistic experience for our young ladies. To be named associate head coach at three stops really speaks to the effort she puts forward on behalf of her teams. She is a tireless recruiter and person of unquestioned integrity, UNCP is fortunate to have her as John’s successor.”
Adding to her 12-year coaching career, prior to joining the Braves coaching staff she served as an assistant coach at North Carolina Central for three of the five years there before being promoted to associate head coach for the Eagles the last two seasons there.
She spoke a little bit on what it means returning back to Pembroke and how honored she is to continue the success of the women’s program.
“Words can’t express how happy I am to rejoin the Brave Nation family and the Pembroke community,” Samuels-Eaton said. “I’m so appreciative to Chancellor Cummings, Mr. Christy, and the hiring committee, for choosing me as the next women’s basketball coach. Over the last 20 years, Coach Haskins has done a great job of building this program and I look forward to working hard and continuing the upward trend of getting better each year.”
A native out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she played high school ball for Mount Tabor High School which she tallied a total of 1500 points and 1000 rebounds and was the 4a Metro Player of the Year Spartans. She took her talents to Western Carolina where she played four seasons for the Catamounts where she joined the 500-point club in 117 games with a total of 721 points, and 524 rebounds and helped lead Western to the SoCon Conference title and a NCAA Tournament Berth.
She plans on working hard to continue the success that the women’s program the past few seasons and to help develop the players and show why UNCP is the prime destination sport for recruits.
“The biggest goal is getting to know the student-athletes here especially if I’ll be coaching them and then getting reacclimated to the University and getting to know the community, faculty and staff. It takes a village to help make a team successfully and to use that to help build off the Championship culture.