Laura Dinkins has been named the 13th head coach of the Northern Arizona University women’s basketball program, interim Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics / Deputy Athletic Director, Uri Farkas announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Dinkins brings 15 seasons of Division I experience with her to Flagstaff, most recently at Grand Canyon University where she spent two seasons as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator under Molly Miller. At GCU, she helped lead the Lopes to a 56-10 (.848) record, including consecutive 24-plus win seasons.
She is no stranger to Northern Arizona, as she was a member of the women’s basketball team from 2003-08 and played on NAU’s lone NCAA tournament team under Laurie Kelly. Dinkins was the Big Sky’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and was named to the All-Big Sky second team in 2007-08.
“Throughout the search process, it was evident coach Laura Dinkins has an unrivaled passion for Northern Arizona University and our women’s basketball program. With coaching experience spanning from the Big Sky Conference to the Mountain West Conference, a track record of excellence in the classroom and on the court, Laura Dinkins is the ideal coach to lead the Lumberjacks,” said Farkas. “We are thrilled to bring her home to Flagstaff.”
As an assistant coach at the Division I level, Dinkins has recruited and coached 25 all-conference selections, two Players of the Year, four defensive Players of the Year, two Freshman/Newcomers of the Year and two Sixth Players of the Year.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to return to my alma mater as the head women’s basketball coach. NAU is a special place that shaped me as both a player and a person, and I take great pride in leading this program into its next chapter,” said Dinkins. “I want to thank President Cruz Rivera, Uri Farkas, and the search committee for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. My goal is to build on the foundation of success, develop our student-athletes both on and off the court, and compete at the next highest level. I can’t wait to get to work with this team and reconnect with the Lumberjack community. Let’s make history together!”
In 2024-25, GCU earned the most single-season wins in program history with 32, winning the program’s first-ever Western Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship en route to the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in Division I history. The 2023-24 season saw the Lopes rank 18th nationally in scoring defense and ranked 36th nationally in steals per game (10.2).
“I am delighted to welcome Coach Dinkins back to NAU. As a former Lumberjack basketball standout and assistant coach, her dedication to our university and our student-athletes is unmatched,” added Northern Arizona University President Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera. “Her proven leadership, commitment to excellence, and deep alignment with NAU’s values set her apart, and I look forward to her leadership of our women’s basketball program.”
Prior to joining GCU, she spent six seasons (2017-23) at Long Beach State as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. There, Long Beach State increased its overall win percentage each season, including three consecutive winning seasons from 2020-23 where the program went 54-28 overall and 40-16 in conference play, which was a Big West Conference record during that span, along with two WNIT berths.
From 2014-17, she was the assistant coach at Fresno State under head coach Jaime White. Dinkins and the Bulldogs found plenty of success, helping lead Fresno State to a 63-37 (.630) overall record including a 36-18 (.667) mark in Mountain West Conference play. The Bulldogs saw three consecutive winning seasons, two of which had 22 or more wins, plus two WNIT berths.
No stranger to the Big Sky, Dinkins got her coaching start at Northern Arizona as an assistant coach under Kelly from 2010-12 after a professional playing career. From there, she moved onto Idaho State where she was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons.
Dinkins was a member of the NAU women’s basketball team from 2003-08, helping the Lumberjacks win their lone Big Sky tournament championship in 2005-06 and advance to the NCAA tournament where she scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
The 2007-08 season for Dinkins is still one of the best in program history for an individual, as she ranks in the top ten in seven statistical single-season categories. That season, Dinkins led the team in scoring (15.9), field goal percentage (.431), field goals made (179), rebounds (252), steals (48), and minutes (1,144). Her 252 rebounds still rank seventh in a single-season, and her minutes rank second.
She was a five-time All-Big Sky Academic Team member and was named to the All-Big Sky second team in 2008. During her time, the Lumberjacks posted an overall record of 83-69 (.546) and she still ranks seventh all-time in career rebounds (714) and eighth in games played (120). When she graduated, her 714 rebounds ranked second all-time. After her time at NAU, she went on to play professionally in the Netherlands and in Germany where she led both of her professional teams in scoring and was named a team captain. In 2009, she helped the Chem Cats (Germany) win the Division II Championship.
A native of Rialto, Calif., Dinkins earned her bachelor’s degree in education from NAU in 2008.
Her official introductory press conference is set for Thursday, April 10 at the Parson’s Family Auditorium in the Student-Athlete High Performance Center on campus, with a time yet to be determined. It will be open to the public, and any media inquiries can be sent to Monica Cowbrough at [email protected].
The university will seek approval from the Arizona Board of Regents of Coach Dinkins’ contract at the earliest opportunity.
