Itoro Coleman - Women's Basketball Coach - University of North Carolina Athletics

Itoro Coleman

Title:
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Itoro Coleman joined the UNC women’s basketball staff in May of 2021 as an assistant coach. A former WNBA player and Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament MVP, Coleman brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to Chapel Hill.

“I’m thrilled to add Itoro to our coaching staff and program,” UNC head coach Courtney Banghart said upon Coleman's hiring. “As a former standout player in the ACC, a former WNBA player and Olympian, and a former ACC head coach, she brings a wealth of experience to the role. Itoro is a star, but she’s an even better person, mentor, leader, and teammate.

“I’ve known Itoro for a long time and have always wanted to share a sideline with her. I’m ecstatic that that time is now. She brings great energy to all that she does and cares about the right things. She will help recruit the best players and people, and she will be an invaluable asset to our current team and staff. Adding Itoro to the Carolina family is a homerun hire and we’re eager for all that lies ahead together.”

Coleman came to UNC after a season at Marquette. She also has served as an assistant coach at Penn State, Butler and Liberty, and both head coach and assistant at Clemson, her alma mater.

As a player at Clemson, Coleman earned All-America honorable mention and was a three-time All-ACC selection. A member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, she led the Tigers to the 1999 ACC Championship and was named tournament MVP. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in communications.

Coleman represented Nigeria at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she teamed with another Tar Heel assistant, Joanne Aluka-White. (The two have been friends and teammates since high school.) Coleman also competed for Team USA at the Pan American Games and the FIBA World Championships.

She also played in the WNBA for the Houston Comets and Indiana Fever.

Before her year at Marquette she spent eight seasons on the staff at Penn State. A standout recruiter, she has been instrumental in the signing of four classes ranked in the top 25.