Tynesha Lewis Leaving Elizabeth City State University To Coach At UNC Asheville

Elizabeth City hadn't had a winning season before Lewis joined the HBCU campus.

After three years at Elizabeth City State University, Tynesha Lewis is moving on from HBCU coaching. On April 12, Lewis was named the head coach at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

Lewis has put out an impressive record of 61-29 over her three seasons at ECSU. Her team appeared in three different CIAA tournament championships, supported by her coaching skills and experience as a WNBA player.

UNC Asheville Athletic Director Janet R. Cone said in a statement, “We are so excited to have Tynesha Lewis as our next head women’s basketball coach. Her experiences as a player at NC State and in the WNBA, and as a successful head coach at Elizabeth City State demonstrate that she knows how to compete and win at a high level, that she cares deeply about her student-athletes and their holistic development and off the court and that she places a high value on doing things the right way. Tynesha will work tirelessly in getting our women’s basketball program to a place of consistent competitive excellence.”

Elizabeth City hadn’t had a winning season before Lewis joined the HBCU campus. The team earned 20 wins straight, with Lewis leading the Northeastern, North Carolina, team.

Lewis has experience on the court after playing for the WNBA in 2001 as the 31st pick for the Houston Comets from her collegiate NC State University team. Before being drafted by the Houston Comets, she played in the WNBA for six seasons, with the Charlotte Sting and the Minnesota Lynx after the Comets.

The 44-year-old athlete was a four-time All-ACC selection, helping to lead the Wolfpack to the Final Four in 1998 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2001. She left her mark on the program, ranking first in triple-doubles and recording the only two triple-double performances in school history at that time (male and female programs). She had an impressive career average of 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals.