The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has a new women’s basketball coach. Now, it needs a team.
Erica Leak, who the school announced as its 10th head coach Thursday, said her first job at UAPB is rebuilding a roster decimated by the transfer portal.
“I have to rebuild the team, and I’m hitting the ground running right now trying to put the pieces together so that we are competitive,” Leak said. “But within my time here, I want to do something that hasn’t been done before, and that’s to win a SWAC championship.”
Last year’s team finished 17-15 with a win at Arkansas. Those Lady Lions finished fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and reached the SWAC semifinals before losing to regular season and eventual tournament champions Jackson State.
Most of that team has since entered the transfer portal. Of note, leading scorer Zaay Green transferred to Alabama, and guard Kaila Walker joined former coach Dawn Thornton at Alabama A&M. Starr Jacobs, who did not play but was highly regarded, transferred to Ole Miss. All-SWAC second teamers Coriah Beck and Maya Peat also entered the portal, among others.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Leak said she met with three players who have remained on campus and is optimistic about being able to bring in talent from elsewhere to fill out the roster.
“I really thought going in it would be a huge challenge, but I have a lot of people contacting me right now, and some great prospects,” Leak said. “So, I’m eager to dive deep into that portal and put the pieces together to be competitive this year.”
Leak, a Wheatley native, went out of state to play her college basketball. She said she would have loved to play for UAPB since most of her family attended the school, but UAPB didn’t recruit her as she was the No. 1 recruit in Arkansas. She said she intends to go after the best talent available.
She said she wants to build a fast-playing team.
“We want to get it up, down the court,” Leak said. “But also, I’m an inside-outside coach. I like bigs. Get it in, then kick it back out. That’s my philosophy. Get ahead and get as many transition baskets as we can, but also be able to break the defense down, kick it to open shooters, shooters that knock down shots. But also, good post players that can take high-percentage shots.”
Leak must also assemble a coaching staff. She didn’t give any names but said she has a staff in mind.
Athletic director Chris Robinson said nearly 60 candidates officially applied for the job, but the hiring committee unanimously chose Leak, who has spent the past four seasons coaching West Memphis High School.
Although she has not previously coached at the collegiate level, Leak has certainly been part of a winning tradition.
In high school, Leak won a 2001 state championship with Palestine-Wheatley at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, winning honors such as Gatorade Player of the Year, Parade All-American, and Arkansas state all-star game MVP.
She then went to Louisiana Tech to play first for Leon Barmore, then Kurt Budke. In her first season under Barmore, she was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.
In each of her four years there, the Lady Techsters won the WAC championship and played in the NCAA tournament, including two Sweet Sixteen appearances.
Leak said at Tech, winning was the standard.
“The coach, he didn’t accept anything less than 100 percent,” Leak said. “He got the best out of us. My teammates, Cheryl Ford, who played for the Detroit Shock, Ayana Walker. We were competitors, and I will bring a competitive spirit to UAPB, because you have to work hard every day in practice and push your teammates. Compete and fight, and that’s the energy I will bring here to UAPB.”
Leak was drafted 19th overall by the Washington Mystics in 2005, though she didn’t ultimately play in the WNBA.
She began her coaching career at Forrest City before taking over at West Memphis in the 2020-21 season. In her debut, she led the Lady Devils to the state finals for the first time since 2003.
In the 2023 5A state tournament in Pine Bluff, her team reached the state semifinals before losing to eventual champions Greenwood. She was named Arkansas High School Coach of the Year in 2023.
She said this was the perfect time to transition to college ball.
“You have the new NIL deals,” Leak said. “You have the transfer portal. All of my college coaching friends are learning, and so I feel like this is the perfect time to get in there and learn. And also, with my high school connections, my college connections, and my WNBA connections, I have all the resources, along with a potential great staff, what I need to be successful.”