The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will announce its next women’s basketball coach this week.
The school announced Monday it will hold a news conference Thursday at 3 p.m. in the STEM conference room. Athletic director Chris Robinson will join the new coach to make the announcement.
The press conference will be open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the UAPB athletics YouTube channel.
The new coach will replace Dawn Thornton, who left UAPB after five years to take the same position at SWAC rival Alabama A&M. Her husband, Cedric Thornton, coaches defensive ends for the Bulldogs’ football team.
Thornton finished her time in Pine Bluff with a 54-89 overall record with a 39-49 SWAC record. She led the Lady Lions to the SWAC championship game for the first time in 2023 and their first winning overall record, 17-16, last season. The 2023-24 campaign also featured UAPB’s first win against a Power Five opponent, the Lady Lions’ 74-70 win at Arkansas on Dec. 10.
Assistant coach Nicole Mealing has been serving as interim head coach since Thornton’s departure earlier this month.