Delaware State University is bringing home a familiar face to coach its women’s basketball team.
DSU alum Barbara Burgess, the Lady Hornets’ second all-time leading scorer and member of the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame - was introduced as the program’s new head coach.
Burgess comes from Del State’s MEAC rival Hampton where she was an an assistant coach for six years. During her tenure there the Lady Pirates won 5 straight conference titles between 2010 and 2014. Burgess has also served as head coach at Virginia Union University and several Virginia high schools.
Burgess said she'll use her track record of success to set a positive example for the student-athletes to help develop a winning culture.
"I think it's just a matter of everybody being on the same page, more energized, working towards the same common goal, and that's just getting them ready; mentally and physically - but mostly mentally - prepared for the challenge that's ahead of them," Burgess said.
Interim Athletic Director Louis Perkins calls the opportunity to bring a qualified alum on board “unique,” and says her resume is one that offers DSU players hope after a series of lackluster seasons.
“They had done their due diligence on all the finalists too. So they knew who she was and what she represented," said Perkins. "You can look at her stats and see she was a Hall of Famer, All-conference player, started off with 9 wins, finished with 20 wins by the time she left.”
Burgess takes over the program following a disappointing 5-25 season that started with an investigation last fall into allegations of harassment and intimidation of players by former head coach Tamika Louis and ended with Louis’ contract not being renewed. Louis went 23-67 in three seasons at DSU, including a 11-37 MEAC record.
Burgess played at Del State form 1985-1989, scoring 1,807 points and grabbing 817 rebounds. She second on the all-time scoring list and fourth all-time in rebounds at DSU.
