WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Snow was falling — but that could not keep the WSSU faithful from packing into the Anderson Center. It felt like Christmas morning, and in many ways it was. WSSU officially ushered in the Tory Woodbury era, a true homecoming story wrapped in red and white.
For months, maybe years if we’re being honest, folks around the city whispered this day into existence. I’ve said it publicly and privately: this was the right hire. Not because of nostalgia. Not because he played here. Not because people recognize the name. But because WSSU needed someone who could reset the culture, unite a fractured community, recruit with authenticity, and represent what an HBCU head coach should feel like in 2025 — connected, confident, and grounded.
And on a snowy Monday afternoon, it all came together.
“A Great Day to Be a Ram” — WSSU Chancellor Sets the Tone
Before Woodbury ever touched a microphone, WSSU Chancellor Bonita Brown made it clear that this wasn’t just a football decision — it was a cultural one.
“I was looking for somebody who understands the students… someone who will take care of the students but also push them to be great,” she said. “Somebody who could bring the community together… bring us excitement and energy, because athletics is the front door of the university.”
She talked openly about nearly 100 applicants, the national interest, and how one name kept coming up. When she described her first conversation with Woodbury, she said he hit every requirement “effortlessly,” unprompted.
That matters.
At a time when many HBCUs are struggling to find sustainable identity in the transfer portal era, WSSU found someone who already understood the assignment before he ever opened the playbook.
The Community’s Son Returns — And They Showed Up For Him
When Woodbury walked out, the room shifted. This wasn’t a coach stepping onto a podium — this was a hometown kid coming full-circle.
He started with gratitude, emotion attempting to break through as he mentioned his grandmother, who raised him and wasn’t physically present.
“She’s the only thing missing from today,” he said with resolve.
That vulnerability set the tone.
And people felt it.
The NFL veteran grew up watching Woodbury before becoming one of the best athletes out of Winston-Salem. He knew he had to be here.
“I knew I had to be here for this,” Hairston said. “He’s touched a lot of young folks in this area. You can’t fake that. He’s been an inspiration to a lot of people, myself included.”
Hairston didn’t attend WSSU, or any HBCU. He went to Clemson. But that’s the point — Woodbury’s impact has extended beyond campus since the days he played Pop Warner on Saturday mornings, then broke into Bowman Gray on Saturday nights wearing his jersey under his coat. Yes, he joked about it. And yes, we all pretended we didn’t know kids did the same thing in the ’90s.
Kermit Blount: The Mentor Watching the Moment Come Full Circle
One of the most impactful figures in the room wasn’t holding a mic — it was Kermit Blount. Blount is the man who brought Woodbury into the program as a walk-on, suspended him (several times), challenged him, molded him, and ultimately turned him into a two-time CIAA champion.
For Blount, this was confirmation of something he always knew.
“This is a very glorious day,” Blount told me. “To watch him become a starter, a champion, an NFL player, a coach… and now to stand here as head coach — this is the plus.”
Blount talked about keeping Woodbury beside him during his first stint at Delaware State because he believed the young quarterback would one day coach. He also joked about those suspensions — both of which changed Woodbury’s life.
“He understood I meant business,” Blount said. “That made him a better person and a better player.”
It’s rare to see a former coach glow this brightly watching his former player take his old job. But that’s what homecoming looks like.
L’Tona Lamonte: The Fundraiser, Teammate, and Friend Who Knows What’s Ahead
Former WSSU women’s basketball coach L’Tona Lamonte knows Woodbury as a neighbor, a classmate, and now a colleague. She also knows the long road ahead.
“The press conference is the easy part,” she said. “The real work starts now — recruiting, buy-in, setting the culture, talking to parents, and letting people know who he is beyond the name.”
Lamonte’s current role as a major gifts officer adds an important layer: this job isn’t just about wins — it’s about infrastructure. Scholarships. Nutrition. Weight room upgrades. Donor engagement.
“Tory is four scholarships short of being fully endowed,” she said. “We need people to give. We’re building training resources. We’re building the foundation.”
She even dropped a gem at the end: Discounted season tickets. This week only. A true HBCU fundraiser move.