College basketball has become as much of a sport of transactions as it has x’s and o’s in the last five years. Coaches on the move and players in the portal often leave fans with harsh feelings of abandonment. But Elizabeth City State, a North Carolina HBCU, has shown there are no hard feelings when a new opportunity takes away one of your valued staff members. Just ask former WNBA player Tynesha Lewis.
After three years as head coach at Elizabeth City State University, Lewis left the HBCU coaching world, accepting the same position at UNC Asheville. The move was announced by the school on April 12. Lewis put together a 61-29 record over her three seasons at ECSU, appearing in three straight CIAA tournament championships, winning one.
In a remarkable move of class, Elizabeth City State University decided to host a farewell celebration to honor its departing coach.
Prior to accepting the job last week, Lewis offered thanks via social media for the opportunity to become a head coach at ECSU.
“Thank you @ECSU Momma said people ought to know you’ve been there and you better leave it better than you received it. I pray I’ve done that. #VIKINGPRIDE3X,” she wrote.
While we’ve seen many jilted feelings when coaches leave, Elizabeth City State is showing that they have a lot to be thankful for during the brief Lewis era. ECSU was suffering through futility in HBCU basketball for over a decade, unable to put a winning season together. But when Lewis arrived it was a different story. Taking her skills as a former player at NC State and the WNBA, along with assistant coaching experience in college, things turned around immediately with three straight 20 win seasons.
ECSU lost to Fayetteville State 69-54 in this year’s championship game in Baltimore. The Lady Vikings won the championship game the previous season versus Shaw University.
On Thursday night the Vikings will get an opportunity to say thank you once last time and offer their good-byes. If Lewis continues on this upward trajectory in her career, ECSU can always say it give her the first crack at a head coaching position and treated her well throughout the entire journey.
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