Allen University announced that Olivia Gaines had been chosen as the next person to lead its women’s basketball program.
“Allen has been my dream job for a long time, and I am looking forward to continuing my career in my home state,” Gaines said. “The culture is there, but winning consistently has been the missing piece, and that will soon change. I am overwhelmed with joy but prepared for the job.”
Gaines previously was an assistant at Georgia Southern. She was also the first-ever head coach at Richard Bland College, where she led the Indians to a 29-3 overall record and a 16-2 Region 10 mark. The team finished as the NJCAA Division II national runner-up.
In the 2020-21 season, Gaines led USC Salkehatchie to a 20-2 record, a Region-10 championship, and a fifth-place finish in the NJCAA Division I National Championship. She was also named Region 10 Coach of the Year.
In addition to serving as an assistant coach at Division III Vasser College and Division II Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Gaines was also a head coach at three South Carolina high schools.
As a player at South Carolina, Gaines was a key contributor to the 2015 team that made it to the Final Four. In 2013, she led Louisburg College to the NJCAA Division II National Title, averaging 18.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per contest. She was also named an NJCAA All-American as well as the National Junior College Player of the Year.
