Alabama A&M simply made an influence transfer. Head coach Daybreak Thornton introduced the addition of veteran coach Paul Reed as this system’s new affiliate head coach. The rent brings high-major expertise, a repute for growing expertise, and a Pac-12 résumé filled with postseason success to HBCU girls’s basketball on The Hill.
Reed, whose teaching stops embody Cal, Washington, and Lengthy Seashore State, steps into the Bulldogs’ program with a transparent mandate. To raise the staff’s tradition and competitiveness within the SWAC.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul Reed as our Affiliate Head Coach,” stated Thornton. “Paul brings a wealth of expertise and a confirmed observe document of growing expertise and constructing successful applications. His dedication to fostering sturdy relationships with gamers and his dedication to excellence on and off the courtroom make him a useful addition to our staff.”
That is greater than a résumé rent—it’s a press release of intent. A&M is aiming larger.
From the Pac-12 to the Hill
Reed spent final season in a assist position at St. Mary’s. Nonetheless, his most impactful latest work got here on the College of Washington. He helped steer the Huskies to a Pac-12 Event quarterfinal look. That run included a decisive 68–54 upset of No. 6-seed Colorado. At UW, Reed didn’t simply gather wins—he developed stars. Three Huskies earned All-Pac-12 honors underneath his watch, and a powerful 11 gamers landed spots on the Pac-12 All-Educational Group.
Earlier than Washington, Reed was a part of a resurgent Lengthy Seashore State program that tallied 69 wins in three seasons, racked up three straight 20-win campaigns, and earned a Large West Event title in 2017 to punch their ticket to the NCAA Event. The years prior introduced back-to-back WNIT berths, showcasing his consistency in maintaining applications aggressive deep into March.
A True Builder
Earlier than his collegiate teaching climb, Reed dominated the Arizona highschool basketball scene. At Cienega Excessive College, he went 45–13 in two seasons and was named Southern Arizona Coach of the Yr after main the Bobcats to a regional title and state runner-up end in 2014.
Go additional again, and the path continues at Tucson Excessive, the place Reed stacked 4 state match appearances, three regional championships, and a 129–63 document throughout six seasons. He’s been constructing applications from the grassroots up for many years, mentoring McDonald’s All-American nominees and directing offseason participant growth for prime highschool and school athletes within the Tucson space.
And whereas most know him for his basketball thoughts, Reed can be a former USA At present Small School All-American defensive again at Langston College, an HBCU in Oklahoma, the place he earned his diploma in psychology earlier than including a grasp’s in training from the College of Phoenix.
Chess Transfer
It is a high-level chess transfer for Alabama A&M girls’s basketball. Reed isn’t only a sideline veteran—he’s a tradition shifter. He’s walked the halls of Energy 4 applications, coached in packed March Insanity arenas, and nonetheless has the recruiting chops to carry top-tier expertise into the fold. For an HBCU program trying to make noise within the SWAC and past, Paul Reed could be the X-factor.
