Doshia Woods named head coach at Denver
Denver named Doshia Woods as the 11th head coach in program history Tuesday afternoon. Woods, whose alma mater is fellow Summit League member, Western Illinois, arrives at Denver after spending ten years as an assistant coach at Tulane. She becomes the first-ever African American head coach for Denver women’s team and is currently the only Black Division I women’s basketball head coach in Colorado.
“Following an extensive national search, it became clear to myself and the committee that Doshia was the best choice to lead this women’s basketball program forward,” Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations Karlton Creech said. “Doshia will fit right into our athletic department’s culture. She possesses a positive energy, while holding the values and sense of integrity that we demand in this department. She comes to us with 19 years of Division I coaching experience, she’s a tireless recruiter and we’re confident that she’ll be able to lead us in the right direction.”
At Tulane, Woods also served as the recruiting coordinator and led in the successful development of the program’s perimeter players and coached six different guards to all-conference honors.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Doshia!,” Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. “I am so grateful for her commitment to our program over the past 10 years and her Tulane family couldn’t be happier for her.”
Before Tulane, Woods spent time as an assistant coach at Missouri, Oregon State, New Mexico State, and Western Illinois.
“I would like to thank Karlton Creech, Lynn Coutts and the entire administration for their trust and belief in me to lead the University of Denver women’s basketball program,” Woods said. “To be chosen to mentor, coach, encourage and inspire the young ladies in this program is a truly humbling experience. The rich tradition of academic and athletic achievements at DU are a perfect fit. My experiences, preparation and hard work during my career have prepared me for this opportunity. I look forward to getting started. Today is a great day to be a Pioneer.”
Woods replaces Jim Turgeon, who led the program for two and a half years. Denver placed Turgeon on administrative leave in January, and he never returned. The Pioneers finished last season 15-15 and 9-7 in conference play, losing in the first round of the Summit League tournament.
While Denver lost 2019-20 leading scorers Madison Nelson and Lauren Loven to graduation, the team’s returnees include sophomore forward Uju Ezeudu, who nearly averaged double digits scoring and was second in rebounds (7.2 per contest) last season. Redshirt senior Briana Johnson, who led the team in assists, also returns.
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