Davidson women’s basketball first-year head coach Gayle Coats Fulks announced today the hiring of two assistants to her staff, as Robyn Scherr-Wells and Lakevia Boykin join the program for the 2017-18 season.
Scherr-Wells comes to Davidson with a wealth of coaching experience, while Boykin is familiar with Coach Gayle after having played under her at Wake Forest as well as recently being part of the coaching staff for the Demon Deacons.
“I am pleased to announce the hiring of two of our assistant coaches, Lakevia (Kevi) Boykin and Robyn Scherr-Wells,” said coach Coats Fulks. “Robyn will be an tremendous asset for our staff, as she has many years of success both as an assistant coach and as a head coach. She has an incredible offensive mind and has proven that she can build programs into champions. Her experience in coaching has led to her developing extensive connections, especially in the Midwest region, which will prove crucial to our recruiting success. Lakevia (Kevi) brings innumerable value to our staff as well. She has been in the same shoes as our student-athletes after a successful career at Wake Forest. Her abilities and dedication to the game allowed her to have success as a professional basketball player in France and Germany, an experience that will undoubtedly help her as a coach. Kevi has an incredibly bright future in the coaching profession, and I am excited that she is starting her journey with me as a Davidson Wildcat.”
Scherr-Wells joins the Wildcat staff after having compiled a 144-83 overall career record in seven seasons as a head coach at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill., and Davenport University, which is in Grand Rapids, Mich. She was even more impressive in conference games, going 76-26 at the two schools to go with three regular season and conference tournament championship titles.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Davidson staff and to be a part of such an esteemed academic institution,” said Scherr-Wells. “Coach Gayle is going to be very successful in building Davidson into a consistent A-10 contender and I am excited to be a part of it. I can’t wait to get to work with our staff and the talented women on our team.”
Scherr-Wells led Davenport to a combined 59-10 record and two Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. This past year, she was named Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan 2017 College Coach of the Year. The Panthers offense ranked amount the best in the nation under Scherr-Wells, finishing third and 11th, respectively, the past two years.
Prior to her time at Davenport, Scherr-Wells was the head coach at Roosevelt for five seasons, putting the program on the national radar. In just the program’s third season of existence, she guided the Lakers to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, marking the school’s first-ever conference crowns. The team earned a spot in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship, where the Lakers advanced to the Sweet 16. Scherr-Wells’ squad finished the year with a school-record 28 wins while ranking No. 10 in the final national poll.
Scherr-Wells ensured the Lakers were not a one-hit wonder, posting 21 wins, rising as high as No. 5 in the national rankings and making a return trip to the national tournament the following year.
A native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., Scherr-Wells played on the No. 2 team in the nation in 1995 as a member of the AAU Illinois Hustle and went on to the University of Michigan where she joined the women’s basketball team. With the Wolverines, Scherr-Wells started as a manager/practice player during her freshman season and eventually earned an athletic scholarship as a sophomore for her role in that capacity for the squad.
Scherr-Wells, married to Ryan Wells, is a 2001 graduate of Michigan where she graduated with distinction and earned a bachelor’s degree in movement science and athletic training. She went on to earn a master’s degree of business administration from Roosevelt in 2014.
A four-year letterwinner for the Demon Deacons from 2009-10 to 2012-13, Boykin returned to her former school last season as the women’s basketball’s video coordinator under head coach Jen Hoover.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be joining Coach Gayle and staff here at Davidson,” said Boykin. “Gayle is someone that I have watched and learned from over the years and I am more than grateful that she has given me this opportunity. Davidson is truly a special place. The prestigious academics, combined with state of the art facilities, and a rich basketball tradition, certainly makes this a dream destination. I’m excited to be on this journey, and look forward to helping build something special”.
Over the course of her career, Boykin played in each of the 130 games the Demon Deacons played during her four years with the program to set the school record in the process. As a senior, Boykin finished second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game while totaling 1,309 points in her career, which put her 11th all-time in program history. Along the way, she also racked up 167 made three-pointers, which sits fifth in program history.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Boykin played professionally overseas. Most recently, Boykin played for Wolfenbuettel in Germany before she returned to Wake Forest in 2016-17.
“Both Robyn and Kevi are relationally driven coaches, and will be great mentors for our players,” said Coach Gayle. “They have intelligent basketball minds, and will be great teachers of the game. I feel that both are great fits to work with me, as they are collaborative and have a strong belief in staff teamwork. I am confident they both value the ideals of character, integrity, and academics that are so ingrained in Davidson athletics. Robyn and Kevi are going to be crucial for our programs success, as we climb the ladder in the A-10 and strive to win championships.”
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