For decades, Louisiana women’s college basketball has been defined by the legacy of Power programs. Now, the winningest coach in state history is from an HBCU. Bo Browder, the longtime head coach at Xavier University of Louisiana, has officially become the all-time wins leader in Louisiana women’s college basketball history.
In the process, he surpassed former Tulane coach Lisa Stockton’s 591 career victories and moved beyond 600 wins overall.
From Chasing the Record to Owning It
When Stockton retired in 2024 after 30 seasons at Tulane, her 591 wins felt untouchable.
Browder knew he was close.
“I talked to her the day after she retired,” Browder said to WGNO New Orleans. “Sent her a text message just saying ‘Congratulations, looks like your record is gonna stay a long time, and I’m right behind you.’ But at the end of the day, records are meant to be broken. It’s going to be somebody who breaks this record also.”
Two years later, he made good on that prediction.
Browder surpassed Stockton during Xavier’s January 17 matchup against Texas College. In a fitting twist, the university chose a rematch against the Lady Steers to celebrate the milestone — a 54–39 victory that marked more than another conference win. It cemented his place at the top of Louisiana’s record books.
“That is special that I had the opportunity to get to 600 but also have an opportunity to have the celebration against the same team,” Browder said. “I’m just a blessed man, and I don’t take that for granted.”
Built at an HBCU. Cemented in State History.
This milestone isn’t just about numbers.
It’s about geography, history, and representation.
“For me to be at an HBCU to accomplish this, this is outstanding,” Browder said. “It’s God’s grace.”
In a state long associated with LSU’s national prominence and Louisiana Tech’s historic runs, the all-time wins leader is now represented by an HBCU women’s basketball program.
Browder has spent 26 seasons as Xavier’s head coach and 27 seasons on staff overall. He took over in 1998 and built one of the most consistent programs in the region:
- Eight GCAC regular-season championships
- Nine GCAC tournament titles
- 19 NAIA national tournament appearances
- 25 winning seasons
- Only one losing season
- A career winning percentage hovering around .700
Through 2023-24, his Xavier record stood at 561-234 (.706). His career total has now moved past 600 victories across four-year programs.
He also holds the record for the most seasons as a head coach in Xavier University of Louisiana history — regardless of sport.
The Long Game
Bo Browder didn’t inherit a rebuild. He inherited a strong foundation from Janice Joseph and expanded it into a dynasty of steadiness.
His toughest test came during the 2006-07 season.
“That definitely was my toughest season of coaching, and it may have been my best,” Browder once said.
That team finished 23-12 and earned a bid to the NAIA national tournament despite a year-long layoff due to Hurricane Katrina and the loss of four preseason starters to season-ending injuries.
He responded to adversity with stability.
Over the years, Browder set a Louisiana collegiate women’s basketball record with 12 consecutive 20-win seasons — surpassing Hall of Famer Leon Barmore. He eventually extended that streak to 13.
Last season, Xavier University of Louisiana opened 18-0 — the best start in the program’s Title IX era.
And while the wins piled up, so did degrees.
Approximately 95 percent of senior student-athletes who played for Browder at Xavier through last season graduated or remain enrolled — reinforcing the university’s identity as one of the nation’s leading producers of Black doctors, pharmacists, and STEM professionals.
At Xavier, the scoreboard and the classroom move together.
From Grambling to Gold Standard
Bo Browder’s roots trace back to Grambling State University, where he earned his degree in 1994. He later coached at Lassen College and spent time at Evansville in Division I before finding his long-term home at Xavier.
Nearly three decades later, he hasn’t just built a program.
He built a legacy.
The “winningest coach” title didn’t just move campuses.
It moved to an HBCU.
And in the history of women’s college basketball in Louisiana, that shift tells its own story.