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| COURTESY: DSU ATHLETCS |
DOVER, Delaware -- Monday afternoon, under the direction of first-year
head coach Barbara Burgess, the Delaware State women’s basketball program announced the addition
Vanessa Watson,
Beverly Lockett and
Donell Thomas as its new assistant coaches.
Watson, a veteran with 30 years of head coaching experience at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, N.J., is regarded as one of the most prestigious coaches in the history of the state.
“Coach Watson will be a great asset to our team,” said Burgess. “She brings years of experience with developing and motivating players to be the best they can be, while her track record for state championships in New Jersey is like no other.”
Lockett, on the other hand, comes to Delaware State from the Dallas, Texas area after 16 years of coaching in the high school and AAU ranks.
“Beverly is another added dimension to our women’s basketball program,” said Burgess. “Her loyalty and dedication to the game of women’s basketball will definitely impact our program.”
Thomas, a former Delaware State men’s basketball standout (1989-93), returns to his alma mater after spending a combined 12 seasons at nearby Caesar Rodney High School, including the last three as the head men’s basketball coach. He also served as an assistant coach with the Wesley College (Del.) men’s basketball program for two seasons, overseeing the development and growth of post players.
“I am thrilled and excited to welcome Donell “Train” Thomas back home to our DSU family,” said Burgess. “He is a veteran of the game as well as a teacher of the game at all levels.”
Below are full bios on Watson, Lockett and Thomas:
Posting a 720-190 overall record, Watson’s championship pedigree includes six New Jersey Tournaments of Championship titles, 10 state championships, 18 state sectional championships, 17 Essex County championships and 16 conference crowns. She also has sent several players to Division I programs, most notably Matee Ajavon (Rutgers), who is a seven-year WNBA veteran currently playing for the Atlanta Dream.
As a member of the Newark Athletic and New Jersey State Coaches Hall of Fame’s, notable accolades for Watson includes a New Jersey State Coach of the Year honor (2003), three Tri-State Coach of the Year awards (2003, 2004, 2013), Star-Ledger Coach of the Year recognition (2004), Northeast Regional Coach of the Year honoree (2004) and garnering District Coach of the Year honors in 2006.
Watson has also manned the sidelines for numerous All-Star games, headlined by being selected for the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic All-American East squad. Also, she served as a coach for the USA Basketball 17 under and 18 under Trials Court squads. Watson also participated with Nike during its Skills Academy and as a coach for its WBCA All-American Team.
Educationally, Watson received her bachelor’s degree in Health & Physical Education from Virginia State (1980), whereas she earned her master’s degree from University of Phoenix in Educational Administration & Supervision (2007). As a player, Watson was the starting point guard for Virginia State as a senior, who went on to win the 1980 Central intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament Championship.
Lockett’s coaching experience includes being at the helm of the Richardson High School (1999-2006) and Lancaster High School (2006-10) varsity women’s basketball teams, along with the North Texas Blaze (2011-12) AAU program.
At Richardson, Lockett tallied a 125-86 overall record, which included back-to-back District 10-5A Championships (2004-05, 2005-06), two District 12-4A Coach of the Year honors (2003-04, 2005-06) and a Richardson Morning News Coach of the Year honor (2003-04). During her four seasons at Lancaster, which featured a state playoff appearance each year, Lockett posted an 86-47 overall record. The defensive-minded leader also earned District 15-4A Coach of the Year honors in her first season, along with leading the squad to back-to-back district second place finishes (2006-07, 2007-08).
With the North Texas Blaze, based out of a Plano, Texas, Lockett led the team to numerous top finishes in tournaments, both locally and nationally, including a National D-I Classic Championship Bracket Runner-Up feat (2011). In 2012, multiple players signed athletic scholarships to North Texas, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Hardin Simmons and Ranger College.
As a player, Lockett starred as a power forward at Livingston University, which is now known as University of West Alabama. Considered as one of the most decorated players in program history, Lockett received All-Conference recognition both seasons and earned National Player of the Week and All-American honors as a sophomore. The Meridian, Miss. native, also set several individual school records that still stand today. Lockett finished up her final two seasons at Southwestern Louisiana (now known as Louisana-Lafayette), garnering All-Conference honors each year. For her career, Lockett averaged 22.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, along with recording single-game highs of 45 points and 25 rebounds.
Lockett’s educational credentials include a Master’s Degree from Southern University (1993), along with two bachelor’s degrees from Southeastern Louisiana (1984, 1986).
“Family is very important to me,” Lockett stated. “My husband, Rodney, as well as my sons are helping make this coaching dream possible.”
Lockett has four sons: Racoya, Jordan and twins Bradley and Brandon.
Before the start of his coaching career, Thomas helped lead Delaware State to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament championship games (1991, 1993), in addition to serving as a team captain twice. His best season on the court occurred during Thomas’ senior year, averaging 10.2 points, 8.1 rebounds (team-best) and 1.2 blocks (team-best) per contest.
Thomas went on to play professionally in the United States Basketball League (USBL) for one season with the Long Island Surf (1998-99), in addition to one season overseas in Europe with Panathinaikos Athens (2000-01). He also had a brief stint with the world renowned Harlem Globetrotters in 2000.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Thomas received his bachelor’s degree from Delaware State in Recreation.
COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMAITON
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