North Carolina Central University fifth-year head women’s basketball coach Trisha Stafford-Odom has named Fred Applin associate head coach and Terrence Baxter assistant coach, bringing nearly 50 years of combined coaching experience to the Eagles.
Applin and Baxter will complete Stafford-Odom’s staff for the upcoming season, joining Director of Player Enhancement Jason Beaulieu and Director of Operations Clarissa Adams.
Applin, who has a master’s degree from NCCU, has been coaching for over 30 years and has spent the last nine years as the head women’s basketball coach at Charleston Southern University. He also served as head coach for former MEAC member Hampton University for two seasons.
“Having a mature and veteran coach by my side, with such high character and knowledge of the game, assures us bountiful measures of success,” said Stafford-Odom. “Fred is such an outstanding and articulate resource for basketball. His NC roots and decades of bi-coastal coaching experiences will help leap us in recruiting and game preparation. I proudly bring ‘Coach App’ in as associate head coach of this program. His loyalty, attention to detail and ability to remain purposeful in player development is an amazing attribute.”
During his time at CSU, Applin led the Bucs to the Big South Conference semifinals in 2017 and 2019 – as well as an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). He tied the program record for single-season wins with 18 in 2017 and won a BSC Tournament game in three consecutive seasons.
Applin boasts in impressive resume with experience in the ACC, Big 12, Pac 12 and Conference USA. He has additional coaching experience at East Carolina University, University of Washington, Wake Forest University, University of Texas, University of Houston and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the WBCA and Black Coaches’ Association, Applin dedicates time to his teams’ academic and community service efforts as well. Two of his teams in particular – ECU and Hampton – have been honored for their work in the classroom, as both teams boasted the highest team GPAs in respective program histories during Applin’s tenure.
A 1985 graduate of Elon University, Applin competed in both football and track & field for the Phoenix and was a member of the NAIA National Championship football team. He went on to earn his master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from NCCU in 1989.
Baxter has spent 14 years coaching within the state of North Carolina, including most recently seven years with the women’s basketball program at Catawba College.
“Coach Baxter is even more than the instant energy he brings daily,” said Stafford-Odom. “He is a proven builder with an eye for hard-working, gritty talent. His connection with players is immediate and comforting. He is a terrific example of a developmental coach. His meticulous methods of film analogy and his approach to repetitive work ethic are crucial additions for the continuous build of championship culture. ‘Bax’ will be primarily responsible for the guards and will master the NC areas of recruiting.”
The Indians produced five winning seasons with Baxter on the bench. In 2014-15, Catawba qualified for the NCAA II Southeast Regional Tournament.
As head coach, Baxter led Catawba to its best start in program history (11-0) and top-25 national rankings in multiple polls. The NCAA Division II program knocked off a DI team in UNCW under Baxter’s leadership.
Baxter is a 2001 graduate of Pfeiffer University, where he was a two-time all-conference performer and helped the Falcons to a pair of league titles and one Sweet 16 appearance. In 2017, he was inducted to the Pfeiffer Hall of Fame.
Baxter began coaching as a men’s assistant for his alma mater in 2006 before joining the women’s basketball staff at Brevard College for three seasons and Queens University of Charlotte for two seasons.
