HBCU notebook: Tai Dillard will bring wisdom and enthusiasm to Prairie View A&M

Not only did Dillard land her first collegiate head coaching job at Prairie View A&M, but she also watched her alma mater, Texas, return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003, back when she was dishing out assists under the legendary Jody Conradt. And while she was a little busy preparing for this next chapter, spiritually, she was in Tampa with the Longhorns. Those days in burnt orange taught her the values of discipline, family, and excellence — pillars she now brings into her own program, just minus the early-2000s baggy warmup suits.

And like most coaching journeys these days, Dillard’s started with a tweet.

“It was a Monday morning,” Dillard said to The Next while preparing dinner. “I had a portfolio prepared and I made sure to update it so I’d be ready if the opportunity presented itself. Prairie View was just the perfect situation. I believe that I’ve been able to network and build a great network of coaches in Texas, throughout the south and across the country. This was just God-ordained and my time to step out in faith.”  

After nearly a decade at the University of Houston (including serving as associate head coach over the last two years), she swapped Cougar red for Panthers purple. Dillard believes the Prairie View job wasn’t just a fit; rather, it was heaven-sent.

A proud Texas native, Dillard didn’t even need to hire movers, as it’s only 47 miles from Houston to Prairie View.

“All of my experiences and the different stops I’ve had have prepared me for this role,” Dillard said.

Dillard turned playing passion into coaching competence

A torn anterior cruciate ligament and three years with the San Antonio Silver Stars accelerated Dillard’s interest in coaching. She transformed pain into purpose. Her injury allowed her to view the game through a different lens and study it at a more cerebral level.

As a point guard, Dillard was already an extension of the coach on the floor. But being sidelined helped her pour into teammates, focus on little details, sharpen her leadership, and most importantly, cultivate the patience and presence coaching demands.

“It changed my approach to the game and the way I thought about the game because you do have to start over when you have an injury like an ACL,” Dillard said. “I was able to really study the game more, and I was and learn to be more efficient on the court. I think I came back stronger because there was a different type of focus.

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“For a lot of players that I’ve come across that are injured, that’s the one thing I do is to motivate them,” Dillard continued. “I share with them that if they stay focused and you’re disciplined, you will come back better. When I played with the Silver Stars, I didn’t play a whole lot, but I did study and watch our players that contributed a lot. I did study and watch our coaches in their approach and their style, and I think that’s helped me along my way in this coaching profession as well.”

Prior to her time at Houston, Dillard held coaching roles at Ole Miss (2013–2014), USC (2012–2013), and UTSA (2007–2012). She began her coaching career at Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas, serving as head cross country coach and assistant coach for basketball and track and field.

Stepping back into time, the flood of memories playing for Texas especially during the 2003 tournament brought a smile to her face. The Longhorns beat Hampton, Arkansas, Minnesota and LSU before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut by two points in Atlanta. Dillard was one of three Longhorns from that squad to play in the WNBA, alongside Stacy Stephens and Jamie Carey.

A two-time Big 12 All-Academic honoree, Dillard started 34 games during that memorable campaign. She averaged 7.6 points per game and 2.2 assists per contest. Whenever Dillard goes home, she watches the VHS tapes from that Final Four run with her family.

“From a basketball aspect, just going through the NCAA tournament, I just had a feeling that we were going to make it far because we were like we were a well-oiled machine,” she shared. “It was a surreal feeling because we get [to Atlanta] and I just remember all the gifts we got. It was just Nike gear from wall to wall. Then they gave us Tiffany bracelets and in 2003 I didn’t know anything about Tiffany’s. I’m like, ‘what’s this little blue box? What is this bracelet they gave us?'”

What has Dillard inherited at Prairie View?

Turns out Dillard doesn’t need a little blue box to find brilliance — she’s already been left with some gems. SWAC Freshman of the Year Crystal Schultz sparkled like a diamond last season, leading the Panthers in scoring with an 8.7 point per game average while flashing the kind of clarity, cut, and confidence coaches dream about. She’s a Tiffany-level treasure, already shining bright in Prairie View’s crown.

Dillard also welcomes back CJ Wilson, Laila Robinson, and Ja’nya Polk. Wilson was the Panthers’ second leading scorer (8.3) and she dished 47 assists, which was also second on the team. She played in all 29 games last season. Polk and Robinson will be counted on to play a bigger role this season.

Dillard has been busy recruiting, implementing her philosophy, meeting with the community, and learning her way around the historic campus that features tree-lined walkways and iconic red brick buildings glowing under the Texas sun. Perched on a hill, PVAMU is quietly one of the most beautiful — and underrated — campuses in the state.

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“I am excited to add Coach Dillard to the Panther Family,” PVAMU director of athletics Anton Goff said in Dillard’s hiring press release on April 28. “I know her success as a former player and coach will resonate well with our current and future student-athletes. She possesses all the tools to be a great coach and develop a winning program. We are confident that she will help our student-athletes reach their highest goals, on and off the court.”

She’s also committed to developing well-rounded young ladies who will be successful after earning their degrees from PVAMU. The Panthers have a tradition of excellence that excites her. Prairie View A&M made six NCAA tournament appearances between 2006 and 2014, with the most recent coming in a loss to UConn.

Dillard will bring her own vision to her new program

Step one in building that culture? Hiring a proven winner with Texas roots and WNBA rings to match. Because great programs aren’t built on talent alone — they’re constructed by people who embody the standard. And in her first major hire, Dillard did just that.

Dillard added Texas Tech Hall of Famer and three-time WNBA champion Plenette Pierson, the league’s first-ever Sixth Woman of the Year, as an associate head coach. Pierson later coached with the Minnesota Lynx, helping them reach the playoffs in all three of her seasons on staff.

Last year as Texas Tech’s associate head coach, Pierson helped guide the Lady Raiders to 19 victories and the quarterfinals of both the Big 12 tournament and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). Pierson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, enjoyed a 17-season playing career, scored 1,602 points at Texas Tech and helped the Red Raiders win 102 games during a decorated collegiate career.

“My priority was definitely getting to know [the four returnees] and building a relationship with them,” Dillard said. “I shared my vision with them. When I met with them, they were really excited. They’re locked into that vision as well. … We’re going to operate in excellence on the court and in the community. That’s going to be the biggest thing. We’re going to recruit high character kids that can play and also exude that excellence. Our style of play is going to be an up tempo one. I really want our defense to spur our offense.”

With faith, focus, and a foundation built on lived experience, Dillard is already elevating Prairie View A&M’s women’s basketball program.

She may not be headlining a world tour with her children, but make no mistake — Dillard is enjoying a special year. She’s owning her stage, walking in purpose, and leading with presence.

Turns out she never needed a little blue box to shine. She became the gift.

HBCU ELITE: Where Black women athletes learn, lead, and shine

Nile Miller couldn’t stop smiling when discussing her transformational weekend experience at the HBCU ELITE Collegiate Women’s Basketball Camp in Atlanta from May 28-31.

The Howard University junior forward was one of 22 student-athletes from Division I and II Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who took part in the empowering, four-day experience. The camp blended skill development with life preparation, offering sessions on mental health, financial literacy, media training, and corporate culture — while also creating space for connection, vulnerability, and joy.

“I was honored to be able to be a part of something so influential and represent my school,” Miller told The Next during a phone call. “To be in a space with so many influential and powerful women who took time out of their schedules to talk to us and give us fruit is something I won’t forget. I wrote a lot of things down because I was learning so much. I was sitting there, thinking, ‘This is such a big deal.’ This was an amazing opportunity because, as an athlete in general, you don’t have any time to learn for something like this to learn all these different things.”

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Even though participants received cool swag, filmed a few TikToks, and played basketball, they walked away with something more profound: real-world knowledge, sisterhood, and life skills that will outlast their playing careers. 

The 22 student-athletes who participated were Aaniyah Allen (Fort Valley State), D’Ayzha Atkinson (Shaw), Jaida Belton (Alabama A&M), D’Yani Bernstein (Lane), Kaitlyn Bryant (Bethune-Cookman), Chaniya Clark (North Carolina A&T), Mo Davenport (Alabama A&M), Zaria Hurston (Southern), Raven Johnson (Benedict), Somah Kamara (Tennessee State), Paris Locke (North Carolina A&T), Leianya Massenat (Jackson State), Diara McBroom (Kentucky State), Nile Miller (Howard), Alaysia Nash (Benedict), Tawana Nevels (Miles), Alanah Pooler (Alabama State), Makayla Rieves (Miles), Zennia Thomas (Howard), Aaniya Webb (Tennessee State), and Skylar White (Virginia State).

In intimate discussions, the student-athletes explored common challenges of the HBCU experience — many shared stories of transferring from PWIs, revealing both struggle and gratitude.

“We discussed the obstacles that we have to overcome while attending an HBCU, and a lot of them were the same experiences even though we attended different schools,” Miller said. “It made me appreciate my environment even more. I just kept thinking, ‘I love my coach; I love my school.‘ I felt a deep sense of gratitude.”

They received media training from none other than Rashan Ali, whose presence and guidance lit up the room with purpose and polish. A team of makeup artists provided hands-on tutorials, teaching them how to master makeup techniques and practice self-care through facials — creating a space that was both empowering and relaxing. There was also a panel featuring Black women professionals, including a sports psychologist, an athletic trainer, and seasoned staffers from both collegiate and professional sports. The panel provided insight, inspiration, and real-world gems in a positive setting that was part boardroom, part runway, and all soul.

“They were amazing,” Miller said of the other program participants. “Everybody was there to learn and connect. We all did just that. There were a lot of laughs and good energy, especially when I played against them. Of course, we were talking smack during the games, but it was all in good fun.”

Miller is one of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) elite defenders. She is a two-time All-MEAC Defensive First Team selection and an All-MEAC Third Team performer. Last season, Miller and Thomas, a Kentucky transfer, helped Howard win 22 games, advance to the MEAC tournament championship game for a fourth consecutive season, and win a WNIT postseason game for the first time in program history.

The driving force behind this experience was Dr. Tara Turner, the current women’s tennis coach at Clark Atlanta University and the founder and executive Director of HBCU ELITE. Turner understands the power of representation, having been a member of the Clark Atlanta women’s tennis team from 2005 to 2009. She was a member of the SIAC conference championship team in 2007 and, throughout her tenure, served as the team captain for two years, earning the distinction of All-Academic and All-Conference multiple times.  

“Dr. T is amazing,” Miller said. “She was talking to us about how everybody doubted her when she wanted to create something like this, but she did her thing. She gave us a safe space. I was thinking like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ I want to be like her. She was able to gather so many influential Black women and HBCU athletes in one room; it was just amazing. You could tell by looking at everybody’s faces they were having a good time.”

High honor for FAMU’s Gordon

Florida A&M head women’s basketball coach Bridgette Gordon received the USA TODAY Studio IX Trailblazer award recently. The former University of Tennessee standout will be entering her third season of leading the Rattlers. She was a nominee for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 after an impressive and impactful career in which won two-time national championships at Tennessee and an Olympic gold medal. Gordon was also an NCAA Tournament MVP, a two-time All-American and the SEC Female Athlete of the Year. Gordon also played for the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA during the league’s first two seasons in existence in 1997 and 1998. 

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