Olivia Gaines played in Columbia, SC for Dawn Staley at South Carolina. Now she’s headed back to Columbia as the head coach at an HBCU.
Gaines has been named the head coach of Allen University.
“Coach Gaines is the perfect match for our university, its student-athletes, and I am delighted to welcome her back to Columbia,” Allen Director of Athletics Jasher Cox said in a release. “We were highly impressed by her success in revitalizing programs at previous institutions and her consistent ability to recruit and nurture exceptional talent. Additionally, her remarkable achievements as a two-time SEC Champion and National Champion will undoubtedly inspire our young women to strive for excellence in the years to come.”
Gaines was a part of the staff of former Livingstone College head coach Anita Howard in 2023-24. Prior to that she was head coach at Richard Bland College, an NJCAA institution in Petersburg, Virginia, where she led the team in their inaugural season to an NJCAA Division II National Runner-Up finish and a 29-3 overall record. Gaines served as the head coach at USC Salkehatchie in Allendale, S.C. prior to that. During her time leading the junior college program, Gaines was named Region 10 Coach of the Year and led the Lady Indians to a 20-2 overall mark during the 2020-21 campaign.
“Allen has been my dream job for a long time, and I am looking forward to continuing my career in my home state,” Gaines said. “I would like to thank our Director of Athletics Jasher Cox and President Dr. McNealy for believing in me as they are leading Allen University in the right direction. The culture is there but winning consistently has been the missing piece and that will soon change. I am overwhelmed with joy but prepared for the job.”
Olivia Gaines was a JUCO star herself, starring at Louisburg (NC) College before going to play with Dawn Staley. Gaines spent two seasons playing for the Gamecocks, winning the 2014 SEC Regular Season Championship and the 2015 SEC Tournament Title while advancing to the 2015 NCAA Division I Tournament Final Four.
Now Gaines will be playing just down the road from Dawn Staley and South Carolina.
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