After five seasons as the head coach of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball program, Dawn Thornton has announced her departure from the program.
“I have a great deal of respect for Dawn Thornton,” stated Chris Robinson, the Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “I would like to express my gratitude to coach Thornton for her hard work and dedication as the head coach of our women’s basketball program. Her contributions over the course of five seasons have had a significant impact on our campus and the community. The future of UAPB women’s basketball program is bright, and we are confident that our next head coach will continue to elevate the program to new heights.”
Under the guidance of coach Thornton, the Lady Lions made it to the conference championship in 2023 for the first time since joining the SWAC Conference. During the past season, they advanced to the semifinals and set new records for overall wins, defeating both SMU and Arkansas in the same year.
Another milestone at UAPB, five student-athletes have received All-SWAC Conference honors. Among them, Zaay Green (2021-22) and Khadijah Brown (2020-21) who both was named Newcomer of the Year, and Green has joined the prestigious 1,000-point club and has set a new single-season record for points scored. Another athlete, Maya Peat, has broken the school record for the total number of rebounds in her career.
Assistant coach Nicole Mealing will be named as the interim head coach for the Lady Lions and a national search will begin immediately for a new head coach.
