NORFOLK, Va. — The road to success in HBCU basketball is rarely straight, and few players embody that truth more than Paris McBride of Coppin State.
The veteran guard has traveled across multiple programs, battled major injuries and even stepped away from playing to coach before finding her footing again. Now, in her final collegiate season, McBride has emerged as the emotional backbone of a Coppin State team making noise in postseason play.
Her journey reflects both perseverance and faith — the kind of path that resonates deeply within the HBCU sports landscape.
HBCU journey goes full circle
McBride’s career began at North Carolina Central, where she showed early promise. As a freshman in 2020-21, she averaged 6.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. She ranked third in the MEAC in assists and eighth in steals. She followed that with a solid sophomore season, averaging 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals.
But her path soon took unexpected turns.
“I didn’t have the best season there personally, and the environment just wasn’t what I was looking for, she said.
McBride transferred to Morehead State, where injuries disrupted her progress. She suffered an ACL and meniscus tear that forced her to sit out a season, then re-tore her meniscus during her comeback. The injuries and uncertainty eventually led her away from the game entirely.
“Unfortunately, I kind of had the same issues with environment and meeting my own standards and morals,” she said. “So I set myself down to ask God what was next for me.
Finding purpose through coaching
After stepping away from playing, McBride shifted to coaching. She spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Southeast Arkansas College, a junior college program in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Coaching young players helped her reconnect with the game in a new way.
“Loved it. While coaching my kids, I was playing with them, practicing with them. I gained a new passion to play basketball.”
The experience also changed her perspective.
McBride said coaching taught her how different players respond to different leadership styles — a lesson she now applies as a teammate.
“I think the most thing that I learned was that you have to approach people different,” she explained. “Not every player can take you yelling at them. Not every player needs a pat on the back.”
That understanding has helped her evolve into one of the leaders at her next HBCU stop.
A new opportunity at Coppin State
McBride’s return to playing came unexpectedly.
While considering her future, she reached out to Coppin State head coach Darrell Mosley, who already had a relationship with her. After a visit to Baltimore, the opportunity to finish her career with the Eagles became reality.
“God willing, he brought me back to play,” McBride said. “So I’m grateful for it.”
The environment at the Baltimore-based HBCU proved to be exactly what she had been searching for throughout her college career.
“I found a coach who believes in his players,” McBride said. “A coach who puts the player on the court no matter the mistakes… he trusts me and puts the ball in my hand.”
The heartbeat of Coppin State
Mosley sees McBride as far more than just a contributor on the floor.
In fact, the first-year Coppin State head coach made it clear after the Eagles’ MEAC Tournament victory over North Carolina Central that McBride’s impact goes beyond statistics.
“She’s someone that’s been through four knee surgeries,” Mosley said. “She runs through a wall for me every day. We’re not the same team without this kid.”
Mosley even called McBride the team’s most valuable player, despite the fact she didn’t get all-MEAC honors. He praised her leadership, toughness and willingness to sacrifice for the program.
“We don’t finish fourth without Paris McBride,” Mosley said. “We don’t stay composed and together without Paris McBride.”
Those words carry weight for a Coppin State team that was projected near the bottom of the conference entering the season but exceeded expectations.
A story bigger than basketball
For McBride, the moment represents the culmination of years of challenges, growth and faith.
Her journey — from NCCU to Morehead State, through injuries, coaching and ultimately back to the court at Coppin State — reflects the resilience that defines many athletes across HBCU sports.
It also shows how winding paths can still lead exactly where they’re supposed to.
And as Coppin State continues its postseason run, McBride’s story has become one of the most compelling in this year’s HBCU basketball landscape.
Not because it was easy, but because she never stopped believing it was possible.