CHARLOTTE – Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), a proud HBCU with a storied tradition in athletics, announced today that Monterika Warren will no longer serve as head coach of its women’s basketball program.
In a statement, JCSU confirmed that assistant coach Taisha Murphy has been promoted to Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. The university also revealed plans to launch a national search for its next head coach, signaling a renewed commitment to excellence within its women’s basketball program.
HBCU Gameday’s “Brick X Brick” series on Johnson C. Smith women’s basketball is scheduled to continue. The show is broadcast at 7 PM on Sunday on Fox Soul per usual.
Currently sitting at 5-11, the Golden Bulls face a pivotal matchup against Shaw University on Tuesday. Warren’s tenure ended with a 14-13 record last season, culminating in a quarterfinal exit at the CIAA Tournament. Despite challenges, her leadership reflected the resilience and competitive spirit often associated with HBCU athletics.
Before her appointment as head coach, Warren joined Johnson C. Smith’s University’s Department of Athletics in 2023 as an assistant coach and assistant athletics director for Student Affairs. Her diverse background includes roles in coaching and athletics administration at institutions such as Austin Peay University and Daytona State College. At each stop, she brought a passion for mentoring student-athletes.
Warren’s playing career is equally impressive, beginning at Daytona State College, where she captained a Mid-Florida Conference championship team and earned multiple All-Conference honors. She later transferred to Bethune-Cookman University, another HBCU, where she contributed to two regular-season MEAC titles and back-to-back WNIT appearances.
Murphy, the interim coach, will lead the Golden Bulls through this transitional period as the HBCU looks to keep up in a competitive CIAA field.