Courtesy of Howard Athletics
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Howard University Athletics Director Kery Davis is pleased to announce that head women’s basketball coach Tiesha “Ty” Grace has received a four-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
Grace joined Howard University in 2015 and, over her time here, has navigated the Bison to become one of the best programs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). During 2021-22 season, the Bison won their MEAC Tournament title since 2001, advancing to the NCAA Tournament and earning a win over the University of Incarnate Word in the inaugural First Four round – the University’s first NCAA Tournament win in history.
“Coach Grace is one of the top coaches in the entire sport of women’s basketball,” Davis said of Grace, who was named the 2020-21 MEAC Coach of the Year. “Her student-athletes have prospered on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. She’s excelled in ingraining the championship culture into this program. The future of Howard women’s basketball is incredibly bright under her leadership.”
Last season, the Bison made their fourth consecutive MEAC championship game appearance after ending with a 10-4 record in conference play. During the season, which also marked the 50th anniversary of the program.
Prior to joining Howard University, Grace coached at her alma mater the University of New Haven, winning 73 percent of her games (44-16), and leading the team to two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. Under Grace, New Haven’s women’s basketball program made its first trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2014-15.
Grace’s extensive coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach at Seton Hall University and the United States Military Academy. At Seton Hall, Grace served as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator from 2009-13, bringing a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans and a 25th ranked recruiting class to the institution.
In three years at Army, Grace coached the team to an impressive showing, including a then-program best 24 victories in the 2006-07 season with the Patriot League Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year and a Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Tiesha “Ty” Grace is excited about what lies ahead for Howard University’s women’s program and looks forward to working with leadership, including President Ben Vinson, III, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Evers, Ed.., and Athletics Director Davis in making the program one that continues to attract some of the nation’s most skilled student-athletes.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented and dedicated group of young women, and I look forward to seeing how we can take this program to even higher heights,” Grace said.
A 1999 graduate of the University of New Haven, Grace is one of only two women’s basketball players to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. A 2010 New Haven Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Grace finished her Chargers career with a total of 1,347 points, 1,047 rebounds and 47 double-doubles.
Grace is a native of Roosevelt, N.Y. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Management of Sports Industries from New Haven in 1999 and a Master of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson in 2001. She has one son, Kalen.
The 2024-25 women’s basketball season tipped off in Tallahassee, Fla. on November 4 with a 78-66 victory over Florida A&M University. The Bison have continued the momentum and are off to a 3-1 record.