In recent years, Black head coaches have continued to move the needle in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

A year ago, four Black coaches advanced to the Sweet 16 in Kenny Brooks (Virginia Tech), Niele Ivey (Notre Dame), Dawn Staley (South Carolina) and Yolett McPhee-McCuin (Ole Miss). Brooks and Staley led their respective teams to the Final Four. It was the second time in NCAA tournament history that two Black coaches led teams to the Final Four in the same year. More importantly, it was the second time in the last three seasons that two Black coaches appeared in the national semifinal.

What might be in store this season?

Andscape has compiled a complete list of the Black head coaches in this year’s tournament.

Let’s dance.

Albany 1 Region

Dawn Staley, South Carolina

Season Record: 32-0

Seed: No. 1

Opponent: No. 16 Sacred Heart/Presbyterian

For a third consecutive year, Staley and South Carolina will begin the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. The Gamecocks are the only undefeated team left in college basketball. South Carolina, which started the season with an entirely new starting five from last year’s Final Four team, has emerged as one of the best team’s under Staley’s tenure in Columbia. If the Gamecocks run the table, they’ll become the 10th team to finish a single season undefeated.

Staley, who was named SEC Coach of the Year for the seventh time in her career, will again attempt to make history and become just the fifth coach in NCAA history to win a third NCAA championship.

Niele Ivey, Notre Dame

Season Record: 26-6

Seed: No. 2

Opponent: No. 15 Kent State

After making history last season as the first Black head coach to win an ACC regular-season title, Ivey and the Fighting Irish enter the NCAA tournament as the ACC tournament champions. This marks the third-consecutive tournament appearance for Notre Dame in four seasons under Ivey. The Fighting Irish have made it to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons. 

After already dealing with an injury-hampered season, Notre Dame was dealt another tough blow heading into the tournament as it was announced forward Kylee Watson tore her ACL during the ACC tournament semifinal. The team is led by ACC Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo.

Joni Taylor, Texas A&M

Season Record: 19-12

Seed: No. 11

Opponent: No. 6 Nebraska

A year ago, the Aggies finished the year 9-20. This season, Texas A&M is going dancing. This marks the first tournament berth for the Aggies under Taylor in her second year at the helm in College Station. The Aggies are led by a trio of transfer talents in Endyia Rogers, Aicha Coulibaly and Lauren Ware, as well as sophomore forward Janiah Barker.

Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss

Season Record: 23-8

Seed: No. 7

Opponent: No. 10 Marquette

With each season, “Coach Yo” continues to raise the bar for her program in Oxford. Last year, the Rebels toppled No. 1 seed Stanford to advance to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2007. In 2023-24, Ole Miss posted its highest finish in the SEC regular season during McPhee-McCuin’s tenure, ending the year third. The Rebels’ 12 SEC wins marked the most in program history. 

Ole Miss, making its third-straight tournament appearance, is led by a pair of All-SEC first-team selections in guard Marquesha Davis and forward Madison Scott, along with transfer guard Kennedy Todd-Williams.

Portland 3 Region

Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech

Season Record: 24-7

Seed: No. 4

Opponent: No. 13 Marshall

Virginia Tech is making its fourth-consecutive tournament appearance under Brooks. The Hokies, winners of the 2023-24 ACC regular season title, will try to top their Final Four run from a season ago which marked their deepest run in program history.

It was a rough end to the regular season for the Hokies, who were without ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley for the conference tournament after the star center suffered a lower leg injury against Virginia. Kitley’s status for the tournament has not yet been announced.

Kara Lawson, Duke

Season Record: 20-11

Seed: No. 7 

Opponent: No. 10 Richmond

This year’s tournament appearance marks the second in a row for Lawson in her third full season with Duke. The Blue Devils showed at the end of the regular season that they will be a force in tournament play, stringing together wins against Syracuse and NC State, while dropping a tight contest to the Wolfpack in the ACC tournament semifinal. 

Junior guard Reigan Richardson leads this young Duke team, which has seen strong contributions from its underclassmen, including freshman Oluchi Okananwa, the ACC Sixth Player of the Year.

Felisha Legette-Jack, Syracuse

Season Record: 23-7

Seed: No. 6

Opponent: No. 11 Auburn/Arizona

In just her second season leading Syracuse, Legette-Jack already has the Orange back in the NCAA tournament. Legette-Jack, the ACC Coach of the Year, led No. 22 Syracuse to its most wins since 2019-2020 and its most conference wins since 2015-16.

Syracuse is led by star point guard Dyaisha Fair, who in February passed Baylor legend Brittney Griner for fifth on the all-time NCAA Division I women’s basketball scoring list.

Tomekia Reed, Jackson State

Season Record: 26-6

Seed: No. 14

Opponent: No. 3 UConn

The Tigers responded to last year’s disappointing SWAC tournament exit by absolutely dominating the conference in 2023-24. Jackson State went undefeated in SWAC regular season and tournament play to capture its third NCAA tournament berth in four years. 

Reed, named SWAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time during her tenure in Jackson, has led Jackson State to five consecutive SWAC regular-season titles. The Tigers are led by All-SWAC first-team selections Miya Crump and Ti’lan Boler, Defensive Player of the Year Angel Jackson and SWAC tournament MVP Andriana Avent.

Portland 4 Region

Larry Vickers, Norfolk State

Season Record: 27-5

Seed: No. 15

Opponent: No. 2 Stanford

Vickers leads the Spartans back to the NCAA tournament after Norfolk State captured its second-consecutive MEAC regular-season and tournament championship. Norfolk State is the first team in the MEAC to win back-to-back tournament championships since Hampton in 2014. The Spartans also broke their single-season wins record in the Division I era for a second-straight year with 27 victories in 2023-24. Vickers was named the MEAC Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.

Leading the Spartans are two of the MEAC’s best in junior forward Kierra Wheeler, the conference Player of the Year, and junior guard Diamond Johnson, the MEAC’s Newcomer of the Year. Both Johnson and Wheeler were first-team All-MEAC selections.

First Four

Johnnie Harris, Auburn

Season Record: 20-11

Seed: No. 11

Opponent: No. 11 Arizona

Auburn is going dancing for the first time since the 2018-19 season. It’s the first tournament berth for Harris, who is in her third season leading the Tigers. Auburn’s best win of the season came in mid-January when the Tigers upset then-No. 7 ranked LSU. The Tigers are led by senior guard Honesty Scott-Grayson, an All-SEC First Team selection.

Adia Barnes, Arizona

Season Record: 17-15

Seed: No. 11

Opponent: No. 11 Auburn

This will mark Barnes’ fourth-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance with the Wildcats, who will be on a quest to make it past the second round for the first time since their national title appearance in 2021.

This has been a tough season for the Wildcats who have dealt with multiple season-ending injuries and two roster departures over the course of the season in Maya Nnaji and Kailyn Gilbert, who led the team in scoring. Even playing shorthanded, the Wildcats were able to finish in the middle of the pack of the Pac-12, the deepest conference in the country. The Wildcats are led by fifth-year players Esmery Martinez and Helena Pueyo, an All-Conference and All-Defensive Team selection, as well as All-Freshman Team selection Jada Williams.