Howard University Director of Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins named Tennille Adams as the new head women’s basketball coach. Adams comes to Howard with an impressive record, including an integral role in six double-figure winning seasons at Northwestern University and a notable coaching career with Big Ten, Patriot League and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Division I institutions.
"We were in search of a coach that understood Howard University’s legacy of academic excellence, possessed the characteristics to maintain the program’s distinction, while making the Lady Bison a principal force in the MEAC and beyond," Perkins said.
Adams hangs up her Northwestern Wildcats purple and white, for the Bison blue and white after five seasons under the direction of head women’s basketball coach Joe McKeown.
While at Northwestern, Adams was named defensive coordinator (2012-13), offensive coordinator (2011-12), while being instrumental in Northwestern’s 10th best turnaround season, a fourth place finish in the BCS (2009), back-to-back WNIT appearances (2009-10 and 2010-11), and the development of two First Team All-Big Ten student-athletes, one Third Team All-Big Ten student-athlete, and one Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
"I am extremely humbled and honored for this opportunity," said Adams. "I would like to thank my new Director of Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins and the Bison family for believing in my ability to lead the women’s basketball program here at Howard University. It is privilege to represent an institution with such rich tradition and history as well as return to the MEAC."
No stranger to the District of Columbia, Adams was the assistant women’s basketball coach at American University. Adams was responsible for recruiting as well as key involvement on post player development and the point person for academic affairs and external relations with the basketball program.
Prior to her stint at American, Adams spent two years with the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University as an assistant to the legendary Patricia Cage-Bibbs, Adams established her administrative foundation. Adams, a standout at the University of Arkansas, began her coaching career in 2004 as an assistant at Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville, Texas.
As a student-athlete at Arkansas, Adams was a member of the 1997-98 Final Four team and the 1998-99 WNIT Championship team. On an individual level, Adams was ranked in the top five post players in the nation and as one of the top 50 seniors by Blue Star. Adams completed her matriculation with a bachelor’s of art in English.
Adams will inherit a program with strong reputation of winning, including three consecutive championship game appearances, two invitations to the WNIT (2011 and 2012), the first-ever Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) appearance (2013), and two 20+ wins seasons.
