UNC Charlotte women’s basketball head coach Tomekia Reed will take a leave of absence due to medical reasons, the university announced, with associate head coach LaShonda Cousin stepping in as interim head coach.
Charlotte Director of Athletics Kevin White made the announcement on the 49ers website, expressing full support for Reed as she manages her health and recovery.
“Coach Reed has our full love and support as she manages her health and recovery,” White said. “We know Niner Nation and the women’s basketball community will be respectful of her privacy and continue to offer their support as well. Our program remains in good hands as Coach Reed has a connected staff more than capable of continuing to build a winning culture here at Charlotte.”
Cousin, who served on Reed’s staff at Jackson State before following her to Charlotte, is familiar with the program’s culture and direction. White expressed confidence in Cousin’s ability to lead the program through the offseason.
“Coach Cousin and the rest of our staff are prepared to attack the offseason with energy, excitement, and purpose,” White said. “Charlotte Women’s Basketball will be well prepared for the 2026-27 season.”
Tomekia Reed, former head women’s basketball coach at Jackson State University. | Credit: SWAC
A Legacy Built at Jackson State
Before arriving in Charlotte, Reed built one of the most impressive resumes in HBCU coaching history during her six-year tenure at Jackson State (2018-2024). She went 125-54 overall, never posting a losing record in any season as the Lady Tigers’ head coach.
Reed transformed a program that had not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 into a SWAC powerhouse. Under her watch, Jackson State won five consecutive SWAC regular-season championships (2019-20 through 2023-24), three SWAC Tournament titles (2021, 2022, 2024), and earned three NCAA Tournament bids. The Lady Tigers also made a WNIT appearance in 2023.
Her 2022 NCAA Tournament run placed Jackson State on the national map, as the Lady Tigers led No. 3 seed LSU in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling 83-77 in the first round. Kim Mulkey took note of the JSU Lady Tigers’ performance versus the LSU Tigers.
In 2024, JSU returned to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed for the second time in three years, facing No. 3 UConn in a performance that earned praise from Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma.
“I wanted to put myself out there for her,” Auriemma said following that 2024 game. “I think we need coaches like her to be celebrated and bigger schools do not need to be recycling coaches that are let go by other Power Five schools. And they should start looking outside the box a little bit, because there are a lot of good coaches out there, and she is one of them.”
Reed was named SWAC Coach of the Year four times (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and earned three HBCU National Coach of the Year honors during her time in Jackson. She also coached the program’s first-ever WNBA draft pick, Ameshya Williams-Holliday, who was selected 25th overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2022 draft.
Jan. 7, 2026; UNC Charlotte Coach Tomekia Reed postgame interview with HBCU Legends following losing to Rice 84-59 at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends on SI
Progress at Charlotte
Reed completed her second season at UNC Charlotte, compiling a 25-39 overall record and a 12-24 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The program showed improvement in her second year, highlighted by the individual performances of Tanajah Hayes and Princess Anderson, which signal a foundation being built.
Jan. 7, 2026; UNC Charlotte Princess Anderson driving for a layup against. Rice defeated UNC Charlotte, 84-59, at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends on SI
Charlotte native and graduate student Tanajah Hayes, who transferred from FIU, earned AAC Newcomer of the Year honors for the 2025-26 season. Wichita State transfer Princess Anderson was named Third-Team All-AAC after averaging 15.7 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting from the floor.
UNC Charlotte 49er Tanajah Hayes during a timeout versus Rice Owls. Rice defeated UNC Charlotte, 84-59, at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU LEGENDS
Those individual accolades in just her second season suggest the pieces are beginning to fall into place at Charlotte, even as Reed now steps away to focus on her health.
What’s Next
Cousin takes over a program heading into an offseason that will determine much of the 2026-27 trajectory. Recruiting, transfer portal activity, and player development will be the priority as Charlotte looks to build on the individual bright spots from this past season.
The HBCU sports world will be watching closely. Reed’s journey from Jackson State to a Power conference program was a story this community embraced, and her health remains her top priority.
No timeline for Reed’s return has been announced.
