Women's Basketball | 7/5/2025 8:30:00 AM

Winston-Salem, NC -- Tyreece Brown, Head Women's Basketball Coach at Fayetteville State University, has been recognized as the Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). This prestigious award was presented during the NSMA's 65th awards banquet held at Grandover Resort & Spa – a Wyndham Grand Hotel, in Greensboro, North Carolina, on June 30, 2025.
 
Assuming the interim role as head coach of the Fayetteville State women's basketball program in the 2023-24 season, Coach Brown led the Broncos to a remarkable record-breaking 29-3 regular season record and 17-1 CIAA standing, securing a CIAA Tournament championship, and achieving a historic first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen. Following the interim period, the Broncos maintained their impressive performance, finishing with an overall record of 21-8, 13-3 in conference, and capturing their second consecutive CIAA Tournament championship. This marked the first time in program history that the team had won back-to-back conference tournament titles.
 
A native of Philadelphia, Coach Brown graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2008, where he served as a two-year starter for the Broncos. He subsequently completed his master's degree in business with a leadership concentration from Liberty University in 2013. His coaching career commenced as an assistant coach with the women's basketball team at his alma mater in 2011, and he also served as a head cross-country coach for both programs in 2015. Currently, Coach Brown resides in Fayetteville with his wife, Kieauna, and is the parent of two daughters.
 
Clarence "Big House" Gaines had an extraordinary 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University. Coach Gaines amassed 828 wins, led his team to the 1967 NCAA Division II Championship—the first national title ever won by an historically black college and university (HBCU)—and mentored countless young athletes, including NBA legend Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. A member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame, Gaines was more than a coach; he was a mentor, educator, and community leader whose legacy of excellence, perseverance, and integrity continues to inspire generations. This award recognizes his enduring impact on sports, education, and the struggle for equality.