Tennille Adams joined the Wright State staff as associate head coach in the summer of 2018 after three seasons as an assistant coach at Ball State.
In the past two seasons Adams has made a great impact in many areas, but particularly in the Raiders post play. She has coached and mentored All-Defensive honoree Tyler Frierson and Freshman of the Year, Shamarre Hale. Adams also serves as the Strength and Conditioning Liaison.
"I am beyond thrilled about this opportunity to work with Coach Merriweather," Adams said. "She has done a tremendous job leading our young women and cultivating the tradition of this program. I am excited about what's to come and feel very fortunate to be a part of the Wright State Family!"
The 2018 season marked the third straight appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament for Ball State, finishing with a 25-7 overall record. It also marked the most wins since 2009 for the Cardinals. BSU won 68 games over the past three years. During that time, Ball State boasted many upsets, including a 77-72 win over Big Ten foe Iowa in the first round of the 2016 WNIT.
Prior to Ball State, Adams spent two seasons as the head coach at Howard University. Prior to becoming the head coach at Howard, Adams spent five seasons as an assistant at Northwestern University after a stint at American University. At American she developed two post players into All Patriot League honors. During her time at Northwestern she hit her stride as she was named Defensive coordinator in 2011, then Offensive Coordinator in 2012. She was critical in recruiting the 20th and 14th ranked recruiting class in 2009 and 2011. Adams’s post development expertise continued as she developed three All Big Ten post players. The Wildcats also advanced to post-season two consecutive seasons.
“I consider Tennille to be one of the best do-it-all’s in our profession. She has never limited herself to only being a recruiter. We have been friends for over 15 years and I am thankful she decided to join me on this journey. She has a vast amount of successful experience at every level. She takes pride in every facet of her job and has been great with our young ladies. They are very fortunate to have her guidance and mentorship.”
Adams, a standout player at the University of Arkansas, began her coaching career in 2004 as an assistant at Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas, before taking a similar position at North Carolina A&T State. She spent two years with the Aggies in Greensboro, N.C., before making the move to Washington D.C.
As a student-athlete at Arkansas, Adams was a member of the 1998 Final Four team and the 1999 WNIT Championship team. One of her most memorable moments was the historic rebound put-back that advanced the Razorbacks to the Final Four. She graduated from Arkansas with a B.A. in English and was also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
A native from the talent hotbed of East Chicago, Indiana, where she attended Central High School, Adams was ranked as one of the top five post players in the country by BlueStar and was a member of the 1995 Indiana All-Star team.
Adams is currently enrolled in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program.
2013 NCAA Women Coaches Academy
2015 WBCA Center for Coaching Excellence
