Delaware State University is making HBCU history. The school has officially named Kenya Sloan as the inaugural head coach of its new women’s wrestling program, making DSU the first HBCU to launch a varsity team in the sport.
This groundbreaking hire comes ahead of the 2025–26 season, when women’s wrestling will become a full NCAA championship sport. With this move, Delaware State positions itself as a trailblazer in expanding opportunities for Black female student-athletes.
Sloan Brings Championship Experience
Sloan arrives at DSU from Sacred Heart University, where she served as an assistant coach for their women’s wrestling team. She is a 2022 NAIA national champion from Campbellsville University and a former Junior Pan-American gold medalist. She also led the Knoxville Girls Wrestling Club to a Tennessee state freestyle title and has coached at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
“This is about creating space and legacy,” Sloan told DSUHornets.com. “I’m honored to lead this groundbreaking program at Delaware State.”
A First for HBCU Athletics
This appointment makes Delaware State University the first historically Black college or university to sponsor varsity-level women’s wrestling. DSU Director of Athletics Tony Tucker emphasized the significance of the hire in an official statement.
“Kenya Sloan is the right leader at the right time,” Tucker said. “She brings championship experience and a commitment to developing student-athletes at the highest level.”
Recruiting efforts for the program have already begun, with the team set to begin competition in winter 2025.
Why It Matters
This decision underscores the ongoing evolution of HBCU athletics, particularly in expanding gender equity and Olympic sport representation. With Sloan at the helm, Delaware State isn’t just building a wrestling team—it’s setting a national precedent.
As the first HBCU to make this move, DSU is carving out a new lane in collegiate athletics, elevating both the profile of women’s wrestling and the visibility of HBCU sports programs.