ABIS Announces Top Black Basketball Coaches to Watch List for 2025

BALDWIN, N.Y. – Head Coach Trina Patterson and Associate Head Coach Cetera DeGraffenreid of the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's basketball coaching staff have been named to the Top Black Basketball Coaches to Watchlist for 2025, the Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) organization announced Friday. 

The ABIS announced its "Black Coaches to Watchlist for Basketball" on Friday, showcasing the standout Black men and women head, associate, and assistant coaches to watch from the NCAA. Those nominated are considered to be the year's most deserving, qualified, and prepared Black coaches in college and professional sports to elevate their careers to the next level. 

The genesis of the Black Coaches Watchlist dates back to 2021, prompted by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports' (TIDES) annual Racial & Gender Report Card (RGRC) for college sports.

Now in its fourth year, the ABIS Black Coaches Watchlist continues to serve as a crucial resource, distributed to athletic administrators and executive search firms, amplifying the contributions of Black coaches as the hiring cycle unfolds for collegiate and professional sports.

Patterson is currently in her ninth season at the helm of the UNCG women's basketball program. DeGraffenreid is in her seventh season with the Spartans and third as the Associate Head Coach.

The UNCG women's basketball coaching staff has led the 2024-25 Spartans to a historical season. The team earned The Southern Conference (SoCon) Championship win for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. UNCG concluded the 2025 SoCon slate with a 13-1 record, marking its best SoCon regular season finish in program history to earn the SoCon Regular Season Title. The Spartans concluded the 2024-25 regular season slate undefeated at home at 14-0.
 
In her ninth season at the helm of the Blue & Gold, Patterson has now tallied her fourth season at UNCG achieving 20 or more wins. Patterson is in the winningest season of her 26-year coaching tenure with 25 victories currently on the 2024-25 campaign. After her successful regular season, Patterson was named SoCon Coach of the Year. 
 
No. 16 UNCG will face No. 1 USC in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m. EST/Noon PST on ABC.