Christopher Newport University head women’s basketball coach Bill Broderick announced that Alex Tomlinson will be joined by Terrance Gist and Courtney Collins serving as assistant coaches for his 10th season with the Captains.
“Coach Tomlinson has been an integral part of our team for the last two years and I am very excited to welcome her back as Recruiting Coordinator in 2021,” said Broderick. “Alongside her, Coach Gist and Coach Collins give us a high-quality and experienced coaching staff that will help challenge our players from the very first practice.”
Tomlinson joined the Captains coaching staff before the 2019 season and helped Christopher Newport post the program’s first undefeated conference season in ten years. The Captains won the Capital Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships before advancing to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 where the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joining Christopher Newport from her post as a graduate assistant coach at the University of North Carolina, Tomlinson is entering her third year with the Captains. At UNC, she was part of a coaching staff that helped guide the team to it’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015. As a player, Tomlinson was a four-year letterwinner for NCAA Division II Wingate, giving her experience at all three NCAA levels. She was a two-year team captain and helped lead the Bulldogs to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Coach Terrance Gist will join the Captains sideline for the first time after retiring from the United States Air Force in 2020 after a 20-year career serving in the country’s military. Prior to his service, Gist was a four-year letterwinner at the University of South Carolina Upstate from 1994-98. He led the nation in steals during the 1997-98 season and finished his career ranked second all-time in thefts.
Gist, an All-Conference player in college, continued to compete for 12 years while in the Air Force. Since, he has coached 12U Youth Basketball and was a VHSL Basketball Official from 2015-18. Starting in 2018, Gist was named the head girls junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at York High School in Yorktown.
Rounding out the coaching staff in 2021-22 is former Apprentice School All-American Courtney Collins. The four-year letterwinner was a two-time NSCAA All-American while playing with the Lady Builders from 2010-12, helping lead the team to a 41-13 overall record. She was the team’s leading scorer and started 40 of 43 games played.
Collins started her coaching career as the head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Western Branch HS in Chesapeake, Va. After three seasons, she returned to her alma mater and served as the assistant coach at the Newport News Apprentice School for two years. In May of 2019, Collins took the JV head coach job at Heritage HS in Newport News, Va. and also assisted with the varsity program.
Tyanka Lee also returns for her fourth season with Christopher Newport as Director of Basketball Operations. She joined the staff prior to the 2018-19 season after a three-year stint as an assistant coach with Menchville HS. A four-year starter for the Saint Paul’s College Women’s Basketball team, Lee would also go on to play professionally for the Dallas Lady Diesel from 2009-11. She also was head coach for the semi-professional team in 2012.
The Captains have advanced to seven of a possible eight NCAA Tournaments since head coach Bill Broderick took control of the program in 2012. CNU has reached at least the Sweet 16 in all seven of those postseason tournaments including the team’s second Final Four appearance in 2017. In Christopher Newport’s last official season, the Captains were 25-4 overall and 10-0 in conference play and finished the year ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Division III National Poll. In eight seasons under Coach Broderick, CNU Women’s Basketball is 198-41 with a winning percentage of nearly 83% (.828).
