DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University head coach Vanessa Taylor has announced the hiring of L'Tona Lamonte as Assistant Head Coach for the women's basketball program on Tuesday.
"I am really excited to be a part of NCCU women's basketball," said Lamonte. "I can't wait to get started with a dynamic staff already in place with Kendra Eaton and Shamika Mintz. For years I have watched and admired how Coach Taylor runs her program. I anticipate learning so much from her mentorship, tutelage and look forward to helping North Carolina Central score on and off the basketball court."
Lamonte joins the Lady Eagles coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach at Belmont University for the two past seasons. Lamonte is returning to the Triangle area after spending the past two years in Tennessee as she was the Director of Basketball Operations at North Carolina State University in Raleigh for four seasons from 2009 to 2013.
"I selected Coach Lamonte because of her extensive and varied Division I coaching experiences," said Taylor. "She has outstanding recruiting contacts and is extremely organized and strategic in her recruiting approach. Her fundraising experience will be a great asset to the program. She is a great teacher and communicator who is able to connect with today's student-athlete. She is passionate about the development of young women today."
Lamonte has spent a total of 13 years of in DI athletics. Before Belmont and NCSU, Lamonte was an assistant coach at Western Carolina University for five seasons (2004-09) and Georgia Southern University for two years (1999-2001).
Most recently, Lamonte was heavily involved with the Bruins recruiting, scouting, practices, training and community service. Lamonte coached an Ohio Valley Conference preseason player of the year, one all-conference performer, two all-tournament honorees and one OVC All-Newcomer. Belmont won the OVC Eastern Division and played for the OVC championship with Lamonte on the sidelines before earning a bid to the WNIT.
In her time with the NCSU Wolfpack, Lamonte managed the daily operations of the women's basketball office including fundraising, public relations, community service, marketing, budgeting, travel, compliance and academics. She raised over $50,000 annually to support the Kay Yow Foundation.
Lamonte experienced great success in her five seasons at Western Carolina. The Catamounts had eight all-conference award winners, 13 all-tournament selections, three all-freshmen performers, two tournament MVPs, one defensive player of the year and one freshman of year with Lamonte part of the coaching staff. WCU went on to win three conference championships, made four postseason tournaments and had three 20-plus win seasons including the nation's top turnaround team one year. Lamonte coached six 1,000 point scorers and helped the Catamounts upset No. 21 Louisville during the 2006-07 season. She also coached NCCU assistant Kendra Eaton at WCU.
Lamonte started her coaching career Carver High School before taking her first collegiate job at Georgia Southern, where she experienced her first 20-plus win season while with the GSU Eagles. Lamonte also coached at the prep level coaching basketball, softball and cross country at Lexington City Schools for three years including being named coach of the year in 2004.
Academics have always been important to Lamonte as indicated by her resume. Belmont women's basketball ranked 18th nationally with a 3.4 GPA last year; she was on a Wolfpack staff that had four Academic All-America performers at N.C. State; and three of her Western Carolina squads earned WBCA Academic Top-25 laurels.
Lamonte grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and she stayed local as a two sport student-athlete at Winston-Salem State University. She is in the NCAA softball history book in five different categories and led the nation in stolen bases her junior season with the Rams.
The sports management major graduated cum laude with her bachel
or's of science degree in 1999. Lamonte obtained a master's degree in kinesiology from Georgia Southern in 2003.
Lamonte is married to Donald Lamonte and is the mother of three girls: Tyler, Kamry and Kadence.
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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