Wake Forest Athletics
Gayle Coats Fulks Named Head Coach at Davidson
5/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWBB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Davidson College announced Wednesday, May 10, the hiring of Wake Forest assistant coach Gayle Coats Fulks as its new women's basketball coach.
"I am incredibly grateful for my last five years at Wake Forest," said Coats Fulks. "I have been surrounded by amazing people who have impacted my life tremendously. I want to say a special thanks to Jen Hoover for bringing me here and believing in me five years ago. I have grown tremendously under her leadership and I have been fortunate to learn how to run a first-class program. My experience at Wake has given an incredible blueprint to take with me to Davidson."
In her five years on staff at Wake Forest, Coats Fulks helped lead the Demon Deacons to the postseason twice, as Wake Forest earned back-to-back bids to the WNIT in 2017 and 2016. During her tenure with the Demon Deacons, Coats Fulks was recognized as one of WBCA's Thirty Under 30 honorees, given to up-and-coming women's basketball coaches younger than 30 years old.
Additionally, Coats Fulks guided three players to a combined four All-ACC honors, including Dearica Hamby, who was a two-time Associated Press honorable mention All-American and the first player in program history to be drafted in the WNBA. Coats Fulks also guided Ariel Stephenson and Alex Sharp to being selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in consecutive season.
This past season, the Demon Deacons earned the program's highest seed in the ACC Tournament since Coats Fulks joined the staff at the start of the 2012-13 season, earning a first-round bye with the No. 9 seed. The 17 wins during the 2015-16 season and the 16 wins in the 2016-17 campaign are the two winningest seasons while Coats Fulks has been part of the staff.
"I have had the pleasure of working with Gayle for the last five years where she has been an incredible asset to Wake Forest women's basketball," said head coach Jen Hoover. "I am certain Davidson women's basketball will flourish under her leadership as Gayle has all the personal qualities and tools to be a huge success at such a beautiful and prestigious college. Davidson is not only getting a phenomenal coach, but they are also getting a great person. We could not be happier for her to receive this opportunity and we wish her nothing but success!"
