Following the dismissal of former head coach Terrence Baxter, North Carolina Central has found its successor under the Dawn Staley umbrella.
According to a report from HBCU basketball insider LivforHoops, former South Carolina guard and Allen women’s basketball coach Olivia Gaines will take over the reins at NCCU.
Gaines comes to North Carolina Central after spending the past two seasons at the helm at Allen, leading the Yellow Jackets to a combined 36-19 overall record.
Under her direction, she helped guide the guard Taliah Wesley to the SIAC Player of the Year award and Eboni Clay to the SIAC Freshman of the Year award in her first season.
The former Yellow Jackets coach gained her fame playing for South Carolina from 2013 to 2015 under Coach Staley. In her final season, she contributed to the team making it to the Final Four for the first time in school history.
Olivia Miles has a challenge in turning around NC Central
Before making her way to South Carolina, Gaines had a storied junior college career, being named the JUCO Player of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WCBA) in 2013.
In three seasons under Coach Baxter, North Carolina Central finished with a combined 34-56 overall record. This included a 16-15 record during the 2023-2024 campaign, marking the team’s first winning season since officially rejoining the MEAC in 2010.
Since returning to the MEAC, the Lady Eagles have only finished with a record above .500 in conference play three times, the last coming in Baxter’s first season as head coach.
