BALTIMORE — Current and former Morgan State women’s basketball players, along with media and school staffers, gathered at the school’s University Student Center on April 18 for the introduction of the new coach of the Lady Bears.
Nadine Domond, an understudy of legendary coach C. Vivian Stringer and a second-round selection in the 1998 WNBA Draft, was formally introduced as the newest head coach of Morgan State’s women’s basketball program. Domond, 49, most recently served in the same role at Virginia State, putting together a 58-28 overall record and a 35-14 mark in CIAA play.
She replaces longtime Lady Bears head coach Ed Davis Jr., who spent 33 years as a college coach and nine as the head coach at Morgan State before retiring in March. The Lady Bears had a losing record each of the past two seasons but had four straight winning seasons prior to that.
“It’s an honor. I’m excited, humbled and just looking forward to it,” Domond said. “They do say, ‘Morgan State is a family,’ and they have shown me nothing but love. I’m really excited about the whole process and the journey.”
Domond has a goal in mind — to take Morgan to heights never seen before.
“I want that MEAC championship,” Domond said. “I want to go to the Sweet 16. I believe everything that comes to mind, we will have young ladies that will believe the same thing. You have to be committed because it costs what it costs. It ain’t for free.”
Domond will lean on what she learned from the person she credits with much of her success: Stringer, whom Damond played for at Iowa in 1994-95.
The Hawkeyes had a 269-84 record under Stringer from 1983-1995. Iowa compiled nine NCAA Tournament appearances during that time, making it to the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four in 1992-93. Needing a fresh start after the death of her husband Bill, Stringer departed to Rutgers and went on to lead the program to a 535-291 record from 1995-2022.
“Coach Stringer put everyone on the map,” Domond said. “She put Iowa on the map. Iowa has been on the map for many years with Coach Stringer. Unfortunately, things happened when her husband passed away and she decided to go to Rutgers. She turned Rutgers into a powerhouse. Basically, watching that blueprint and seeing it every day is what made it special for me.”
Stringer began her head coaching career at Cheyney State, a Philadelphia-area HBCU, compiling a 251-51 record during her 12 seasons with the program. Cheyney State earned a trip to the inaugural Division I women’s basketball championship game in 1981-82, falling to Kim Mulkey’s Louisiana Tech team 76-62 in front of 9,531 at the Norfolk Scope in Virginia.
Morgan State president David K. Wilson explained that he was impressed by Domond’s connection to Stringer. Like Stringer, Domond began her head coaching career at an HBCU. She spent two seasons at Grambling State from 2014-2016, putting together a 27-34 record. Following her departure from Grambling State, she reunited with Stringer at Rutgers as an assistant from 2016-2022 and witnessed the end of her Hall of Fame mentor’s career.
“I was really impressed with that hunger,” Wilson said. “I saw that connection. Why can’t our Lady Bears taste that type of success? I’m looking forward to what will actually unfold as a result of what I know is an incredible path through these legends and understanding that a lot of that started at an HBCU.”
Renaissance Search and Consulting assisted the university in the process, according to athletic director Dena Freeman-Patton. There was also an advisory committee, which included the current captains on the women’s basketball team and alumni of the women’s basketball team, along with Morgan State alumni, donors and staffers.
“One thing that was clear at the end of the search was that everybody was on the same page for the job and that was you, Coach D,” Freeman-Patton said to Domond during the press conference.
Freeman-Patton laid out every box she wanted the coach to check off. In her eyes and the eyes of many in school leadership, Domond is a slam-dunk hire for the school.
“I presented it to our president and we’ve already talked about her background,” Freeman-Patton said, “but these are the characteristics that I presented — is a championship coach and player, believes in developing women, will build a quality staff to support the team professionally and personally, will recruit talented players with connections to the DMV area, will be a great representative and partner for the university and has a vision for immediate success while also building for sustainability.”
Photo Credit: Jake Bandoh