Coach Tierra Terry named Clarence "Big House" Gaines Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association
Winston-Salem State University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Tierra Terry has been named the Clarence “Big House” Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
Terry will be honored at the NSMA’s 66th awards banquet June 29 at Grandover Resort & Spa — a Wyndham Grand Hotel — in Greensboro.
The Clarence “Big House” Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year awards are presented to head coaches in NCAA Divisions I and II who may not receive recognition from mainstream outlets. The awards are voted on by an NSMA committee at the conclusion of the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments.
Previous winners include Dawn Staley, who has won three DI national championships as head coach of the women’s team at the University of South Carolina. Joining Terry as a Gaines Award recipient this year is Jai Lucas, head men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. The Hurricanes went 26-9 on the year.
The Lady Rams had a stellar season, embracing excellence both on and off the hardwood. They finished the year 28-4, going a perfect 13-0 at home and earning Co-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division Champion honors before winning the first CIAA Tournament Championship in program history. In their NCAA DII Tournament debut, the Lady Rams won their first two games in wire-to-wire fashion by 17 and 19 points, respectively, before losing in the Sweet 16 round.
Terry was named CIAA Coach of the Year, and Breonna Roaf was named CIAA Rookie of the Year. Under Terry’s leadership, 13 Lady Rams earned a spot on the CIAA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which required a minimum 3.0 GPA, and the student-athletes performed community service by passing out water at the annual Mistletoe Run sponsored by the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina and reading to Ward Elementary students.
The Lady Rams’ success inspired the Winston-Salem community while garnering regional, statewide and national acclaim for the institution.
“The Clarence “Big House” Gaines Coach of the Year award is highly prestigious, particularly because of the legend after whom it’s named,” said Winston-Salem State University Interim Athletic Director Eric Burns. “I’m sure Coach Terry will treasure this much-deserved accolade and use it as inspiration to push her student-athletes to continue their winning ways on and off the court in the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season and beyond. Because of Coach Terry, I am confident WSSU Women’s Basketball will keep rising.”
For more information on Coach Tierra Terry’s latest honor, click here.
