---
"title": "The first D1 HBCU with women’s wrestling has a national championship coach"
"description": "The first HBCU with a women’s wrestling program now has a coach to lead the way. Delaware State University has announced that Kenya Sloan, a former NAIA national champion and assistant coach at Sacred Heart, will become the first head coach in Hornets women’s wrestling history. 🚨Breaking News🚨 🗣️ Kenya Sloan Named the first Head […]"
"date": "2025-06-09"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Chris Stevens"
"url": "https://hbcusports.com/2025/06/09/the-first-d1-hbcu-with-womens-wrestling-has-a-national-championship-coach/"
"categories":
  - "News"
  - "Other Sports"
"tags":
  - "Delaware State"
---

# The first D1 HBCU with women’s wrestling has a national championship coach

The first HBCU with a women’s wrestling program now has a coach to lead the way. Delaware State University has announced that [Kenya Sloan](https://sacredheartpioneers.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/coaches/kenya-sloan/799), a former NAIA national champion and assistant coach at Sacred Heart, will become the first head coach in Hornets women’s wrestling history.

> 🚨Breaking News🚨
>
> 🗣️ Kenya Sloan Named the first Head Women’s Wrestling Coach. Welcome, to the Nest Coach Sloan! [\#EntertheNest](https://twitter.com/hashtag/EntertheNest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [\#GoHornets](https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHornets?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [\#LegacyandPride](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LegacyandPride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/Q0ycnpZtFw](https://t.co/Q0ycnpZtFw) — Delaware St. Hornets (@DSUHornets) [June 9, 2025](https://twitter.com/DSUHornets/status/1932154606995292505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Sloan, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, was a four-year wrestler at Campbellsville (KY) University, winning an NAIA women’s wrestling title in 2022. She returned to her hometown to start the Knoxville Girls’ Wrestling Club and assisted with the Knoxville Catholic High School girls’ program. Before her time at Sacred Heart, she was also a clinician at the US Olympic and Paralympic training camps in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the girls’ U17 teams. [Delaware State announced the formation of ](https://hbcusports.com/2024/11/07/an-hbcu-will-have-a-division-i-womens-wrestling-program/)[its women’s wrestling program last November,](https://hbcusports.com/2024/11/07/an-hbcu-will-have-a-division-i-womens-wrestling-program/) hoping to field a team for the 2025-26 season. The program was started thanks to a $1.25 million gift from HBCU Wrestling.