YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University Head Women's Basketball Coach AnnMarie Gilbert announced today, Sept. 10, that LaTonya Tate has been promoted to associate head coach. Tate just completed her third season as an assistant under Gilbert.
"I am extremely pleased to be able to name Latonya as my associate head coach," said Gilbert. "She is a tremendous coach and truly a rising star in the game. I am fortunate that we have such an outstanding working relationship and I am honored to promote her. She is extremely deserving of this recognition".
In her first season in Ypsilanti, Tate worked with the guards as the Eagles captured a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division Championship. The guards averaged 42.4 points and 12.7 assists per game while making the sixth most three-pointers in school history.
The guard position was another strong point for the Eagles in 2008-09, as 80 percent of the team's points came from that spot. Freshman
Tavelyn James joined a select group of the most prolific freshman scorers in program history. In 29 games, the Detroit native racked up 426 points.
The 2009-10 campaign was just as productive for the Green and White, as the Eagles finished with a 22-9 overall record and an 11-5 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The Eagles became the first MAC women's basketball program to post a 20-win season following a year in which the team won less than 10 games. EMU also finished just one victory shy of equalling the 1985-86 Ohio University squad for the biggest single-season turnaround in league history.
James posted one the of best offensive seasons in not only Eastern Michigan history but in Mid-American Conference history as well. The Detroit native finished the year at 20.7 points per game, making 220 of her 550 shots from the floor, to become the first EMU player since Sharon Brown in 1985-86 to average more than 20 points per contest.
The 39-year-old Tate was a member of the Detroit Mercy women's basketball staff for two separate stints, from 2004-07 and from 1995-97. She was also an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago (1997-2001), a graduate assistant coach at Syracuse University (1995-96) and a part-time assistant coach at Kansas State University (1994-95).
A native of Detroit, Tate graduated from Detroit Cass Technical High School in 1988 after earning All-State honors in basketball. She was an All-State Dream Team selection, an honorable mention All-American and the runner-up for Miss Basketball in the state of Michigan in 1987.
Tate went on to become a standout women's basketball player at the University of Iowa where she was the team captain of the 1991-92 Hawkeyes' squad. She played on three Big Ten championship teams and four NCAA postseason tournament teams under then-Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer. She completed her bachelor's degree at Iowa in 1992.
Tate has one daughter, LaShawnta.
