RALEIGH, N.C. — Shaw University Athletics announced Monday the hiring of Ebony Tanner as the new head coach of the Lady Bears women's basketball program. Tanner becomes the first woman head coach in program history.
Tanner returns to Shaw after previously serving four seasons on the Lady Bears coaching staff as the program's top assistant coach, helping guide the program to a 2008 CIAA Championship while assisting with recruiting, player development, scouting and postseason preparation.
"I am incredibly excited and honored to return to Shaw University," Tanner said. "Shaw is a place rich in tradition, excellence, and pride, and being a Lady Bear means representing something bigger than yourself. The legacy built by the women and coaches before us is special, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue that tradition while pouring into the next generation of Lady Bears. I can't wait to get to work and represent this university, our alumni, and our community with passion and pride."
Tanner brings more than 20 years of coaching and playing experience at the collegiate and professional levels to Raleigh. She arrives at Shaw following two seasons as head coach at Elizabeth City State University, where she guided the Lady Vikings through continued growth in the highly competitive CIAA. During the 2025-26 season, ECSU earned non-conference victories over Converse and UNC Pembroke while showcasing a balanced offensive attack led by four players averaging more than eight points per game.
Prior to her stint at ECSU, Tanner served as head coach at Saint Augustine's University, leading the Falcons to their first winning season since 2010-11 during the 2023-24 campaign. Her teams became known for an aggressive defensive style that ranked among the nation's leaders in turnovers forced while producing multiple All-CIAA and All-Rookie selections.
Tanner also spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Hartford, helping the Hawks reach the America East semifinals, and spent eight seasons at her alma mater, the University of Richmond, contributing to three 20-win seasons and six WNIT postseason appearances.
As a student-athlete at Richmond, Tanner was a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and finished her career among the program's all-time leaders in rebounds, blocked shots, field goal percentage and scoring. Following her collegiate career, she played professionally overseas in Israel and Greece.
A native of Garner, North Carolina, Tanner earned her bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communication and Speech Rhetoric from Richmond in 2003.
Tanner will be formally introduced to the public alongside new Shaw University men's basketball head coach Wykevin Bazemore on May 27 at 10 a.m. inside Historic Estey Hall on the campus of Shaw University.
