Tounisia Turner-Lewis returns to the Lady Eagle program after serving as head coach of California State University Los Angeles for the past three years seasons. She replaces Laquanda Dawkins, who left to become the head coach of Southern Poly State University (GA).
“Coach Turner-Lewis brings a career of experience back to our program,” said Childers. “We’re excited to have her back with us. She was instrumental in the recruitment of our first great class here (Ashley Fann, Tiff Rodd, Shelly Hankins, Ashley Haugtvedt and Yvonne van Daalen). She will step right in and be a valuable asset immediately.”
In 2004-05, Turner-Lewis served on Childers’ staff as an assistant coach before leaving in 2005 to become the girls’ varsity head coach at JSerra Catholic School in San Juan Capistrano, CA. At JSerra Catholic, Turner-Lewis was also a psychology and speech/debate teacher. After two seasons, Turner-Lewis became the head coach at Cal State L.A. (NCAA Division II).
Turner-Lewis received a Bachelor of Arts in communications in 1992 from Louisville where she played for Childers and was voted the team’s most valuable player. As a student at U of L she worked as a sports information assistant while playing basketball and then following graduation she worked for one year in radio and television in Louisville as a color analyst for the Louisville women’s basketball games before entering the coaching profession as an assistant at Texas-Arlington.
After three years at UTA, Turner-Lewis was hired as an assistant coach and part-time professor at Long Beach State. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2001.
As Recruiting Coordinator at Long Beach State, Turner-Lewis has developed strong ties to California and also signed players from the northern California, southern California as well as Maryland, Florida, Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Arizona. She has also signed international players from Brazil, Germany and Japan.
In her five years Long Beach State, the program produced six professional basketball players, a WNBA player, two District 8 Kodak All-Americans, one conference player of the year, four first-team all-conference selections, five second-team all-conference selections, two defensive players of the year, and two sixth-man of the year selections.
