Former WNBA Player Becomes 1st Black Woman to Coach Men’s College Basketball Team

Tamara Moore, former WNBA player

Tamara Moore, a former WNBA player, is the first African American woman to become the head coach of a men's collegiate basketball program in the U.S. She has been appointed as the head coach of the men's basketball team at Mesabi Range College in Virginia, Minnesota.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moore was a standout high school basketball player at Minneapolis North High School. In 1998, she helped lead the Lady Polars to the state championship and received the Ms. Basketball Award.

She went on to play in the WNBA for 6 seasons with teams including Miami Sol, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, and Houston Comets. She also played 6 seasons in Israel and France.

Moore has coached high school basketball for 7 season: Head Coach for Minneapolis Edison, Prairie Seeds Academy, and Minnesota Transitions and Assistant Coach for Minneapolis Edison and Bloomington Jefferson.

"For me, it's not new, just being someone that's always tried to push the game forward," Moore said. "I think it means a lot, looking at Becky Hammon and Teresa Weatherspoon and Swin Cash, all women I played with or against in the WNBA, who opened the door for this opportunity. The biggest thing for me is those doors led to this door."