Lea Joins Seahawks as Associate Head Coach

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Cherie Lea, a UNCW Athletics Hall of Famer who spearheaded a resurgence in UNCW women's basketball in the early 2000s, is returning to her alma mater as Associate Head Coach under new Head Coach Nicole Woods.

Lea becomes Woods' top lieutenant after serving in the same capacity at Duquesne last season. The 2004 UNCW graduate has spent eight seasons on the Duquesne staff under Head Coach Dan Burt, a former Seahawk assistant from 2001-04.

Lea began her coaching career as Director of Basketball Operations for the Dukes in 2013 before she was named an assistant coach in 2016. With Lea in Pittsburgh, the Dukes compiled a 137-102 record, including 69 Atlantic-10 Conference wins.

"Cherie Lea is a person that you want your daughter to aspire to be like," said Woods, who was named to her post in April 2023. "She is a person driven by her personal core values. She was the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, so she embodies what it means to be a student-athlete.

"Culture is what drives our program and I felt there was nobody better that personified those pillars of our program than Cherie. I am super excited to have her come back home to Seahawk Nation!"

Duquesne secured three WNIT berths (2014, 2017, 2018) with Lea on the staff and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Women's Basketball National Invitational Tournament in 2018. The 2019-20 Dukes were also a projected WNIT squad with a 20-11 showing before the cancelation of the postseason tournament.

Between stints at Duquesne, Lea was the top assistant at Wingate under former UNCW Head Coach Ann Hancock. In her two years with the Bulldogs, Lea helped the team compile a 43-19 (.693) record and a 34-10 (.772) mark in the South Atlantic Conference. Wingate was crowned SAC tournament champions and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2015-16.

Before turning to coaching, Lea more than held her own on the hardwood.

A transfer from North Carolina, Lea joined the Seahawks for the 2002-03 women's basketball season and made an immediate impact with the team. The point guard powered the Seahawks to a 37-19 record over two seasons, earning First-Team All-CAA and Team MVP recognition both years.

The Blanch, N.C., product scored 884 points (14.7 ppg), grabbed 301 rebounds (5.4 rpg) and dished out 165 assists (2.9 apg) in 56 appearances for the Seahawks. She started 55 of those contests and is the only two-time First-Team All-CAA pick in Seahawk women's hoops history. She was honored as a Colonial Athletic Association legend in 2005.

"It's great to be home and it's a surreal moment. UNCW has meant so much to me. When the opportunity was presented to me by Coach Woods, I couldn't turn it down," said Lea, who donned the No. 44 jersey during her Seahawk playing career. "It's important to me to give back to this University and the women's basketball program therefore I am going to be the best coach I can be for Coach Woods, our staff, and players."

Lea also excelled in the classroom. She was a two-time selection to the CAA's All-Academic Team and was tabbed as the CAA's Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2003-04. Following her senior year, Lea was named the recipient of the prestigious Dean Ehlers Award from the CAA.

Following graduation, Lea enjoyed an outstanding professional career overseas. She played professionally in Luxembourg and Holland, where she was the two-time MVP of the Dutch League and a participant in four All-Star Games. Lea won a pair of Dutch titles during her time in The Netherlands.

Lea earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from UNCW in 2004.

Lea became the sixth women's basketball member of the UNCW Hall of Fame when she was inducted last February.

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Lea Joins Seahawks as Associate Head Coach