Wake Forest Athletics
Sharon Manning Joins Deacon Women's Basketball Staff
6/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 20, 2001
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball program has announced the addition of Sharon Manning to the coaching staff. Manning comes to Wake Forest after several successful seasons of professional basketball both overseas and in the WNBA. She replaces Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, who joined the women's basketball staff at UNC Wilmington earlier this summer.
Manning's duties at WFU will include recruiting and working with Deacon post players. She will also serve as an academic counselor for the team.
"I've known Sharon and have followed her career since high school and am very excited to have her join our staff," said Wake Forest head coach Charlene Curtis. "I'm looking forward to having a person with her experience and character as a part of our program. She is the first `true post' coach we've had since I've been here, and I think she'll have an immediate impact on the players and with the vision of where we want this program to go."
Manning, an Emporia, Va. native, is no stranger to the Atlantic Coast Conference, as she played four seasons under coach Kay Yow at North Carolina State University. She was a two-time All-ACC selection, including first-team honors in 1990, and was named MVP of the 1991 ACC Tournament. Manning still ranks ninth among the Wolfpack career leaders in scoring (1,569 points), fifth all-time in rebounding (912) and was Team MVP during her freshman and senior seasons. She earned a degree in sociology from NCSU in 1991.
After graduation, Manning spent nine seasons in Europe, competing for professional teams in Sweden, Spain and Italy. A perennial All-Star selection in both the Italian and Spanish leagues, she was named the Italian League MVP for the 1999-2000 season.
Manning also competed professionally in the WNBA, spending three seasons (1997-1999) with the Charlotte Sting before playing one season (2000) with the Miami Sol. She served as a team captain for both the Sting and the Sol during her career.
Manning entered the coaching ranks in 2000, serving as an assistant coach and head recruiter at St. Joseph's University last season.
