Nadine Domond pens open letter to Grambling community, takes job at Rutgers

Early this week news broke that Grambling State women’s basketball head coach Nadine Domond resigned from her position to join C. Vivian Stringer’s staff at Rutgers. She played for stringer during her collegiate career at Iowa.

Domond spent two years at Grambling and compiled a 27-34 overall record and a 20-16 record in conference play in her efforts to rebuild the program. According to the university’s interim athletic director, Domond submitted a letter of resignation on June 17 but that information did not become public until this week via a report from HBCU Sports.

“Officially, I can confirm that coach Domond has submitted her letter of resignation to the President dated for June 17, 2016,” Obadiah Simmons stated. “A formal announcement from the Athletic Department will be released soon.”

Grambling has yet to officially announced Domond’s departure. Grambling was her first Division I head coaching job. She previously served as the head coach for Northrop Grumman Apprentice School from 2005 to 2007.

There are currently three head coach openings in women’s basketball, all of which are at historically black colleges and universities: Grambling plus MEAC institutions Morgan State and Coppin State. Morgan State assistant coach Edward Davis Jr. took over as interim coach after Donald Beasley was reassigned in the wake of allegations of verbal abuse by players.

Domond addressed the Grambling community via an Instagram post today:

Dear Grambling,

Louisiana is a special place to me. It marks a place of beginnings. I played my first AAU tournament in this great state and I began my collegiate coaching career here as a Head Coach, of Grambling State University. In my time here, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, and celebrated; but most importantly, I’ve shared in the rich legacy of Grambling. I’ve reveled in its history and its pride. I’ve been humbled to walk the same grounds of greats like: Patricia Cage-Bibbs, Doug Williams, Willis Reed, Shaq Harris, The Great Eddie Robinson and so many others.

These last 2 years have been amazing and I want to thank all of the families, friends, and others with whom I’ve built relationships for allowing me to be apart of your lives. Thank you for embracing me and my vision to start the Rebirth of a Legacy. It has been an honor and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed serving as your Head Coach.

I’m saddened to leave behind great individuals, amazing young ladies, and an excellent coaching staff in which I consider my family. It is certainly bittersweet to share with you that I will be joining the staff at Rutgers University to work with Hall of Famer, Coach C. Vivian Stringer; a trailblazer, an icon of our time, my mentor and former coach.

I have complete confidence in the abilities of Freddie Murry, David Pierre, and Izarya Diaz to be successful. To each of you, thank you for being dedicated and committed to the vision and for your contributions to the team.

Thank you again for reinforcing a simple yet powerful truth that GramFam is forever and that GSU is the place where Everybody is Somebody! God bless you all.#gramfam #ladytigernation?