Itoro Umoh-Coleman
Encyclopedia
Itoro Umoh-Coleman (born Itoro Umoh on February 21, 1977 in Washington, D.C.
) is a former WNBA basketball
player. She played for the Lady Clemson Tigers
in college and is currently the head basketball coach for that team. In 2002, she was selected for the Atlantic Coast Conference
50-year all-star women's basketball team as well as 25th Anniversary Tournament team.
. She attended Hephzibah High School
and played for the Lady Rebels under coach Wendell Lofton. She graduated in 1995.
during the 1999 Pan American Games
with the team winning a bronze medal.
She scored her 900th career point during a Clemson-Wake Forest
game in which coach Jim Davis won his 100th game.
. She played in three games for the team in 2003.
in 1999. After graduation from college, her next job was at Butler University
, where she coached from 2000-2002. She accepted an assistant coaching job for the Lady Clemson Tigers in 2002 and is currently the Head Coach for the Lady Tigers at Clemson. One of her major functions in the program is as a recruiter.
in Athens, Umoh-Coleman played for the Nigeria women's national basketball team
. She played on the team with fellow Hephzibah High School alumnua, Joanne Aluka
. In 2006, she played for the Nigerian national team at the FIBA world championships. She had the highest number of assists in the tournament.
She graduated with a degree in communications from Clemson in 2000.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) is a former WNBA basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. She played for the Lady Clemson Tigers
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
in college and is currently the head basketball coach for that team. In 2002, she was selected for the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
50-year all-star women's basketball team as well as 25th Anniversary Tournament team.
Early years
Born in D.C., Umoh-Coleman spent her early years living in Hephzibah, GeorgiaHephzibah, Georgia
Hephzibah is a city in south Richmond County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta – Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,880 at the 2000 census....
. She attended Hephzibah High School
Hephzibah High School
Hephzibah High School is a high school, located in south Richmond County in the town of Hephzibah, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Richmond County School System. Hephzibah High School is the largest high school, by attendance, in the Richmond County School System...
and played for the Lady Rebels under coach Wendell Lofton. She graduated in 1995.
College career
During her tenure at Clemson from 1995–1999, she led the Lady Clemson Tigers to two ACC Championships. While at Clemson, she played both point guard and shooting guard. During her 1995-1996 freshman year at Clemson, in which Clemson won the ACC Championship, she led the team in assists and steals. At Clemson, she was a 3-time All-ACC player. During her 1999 senior ACC tournament, she was awarded the MVP award in a rare unanimous vote. That same year, she was an honorable mention for the All-American team and Defensive All-American. Umoh-Coleman also represented the United StatesUnited States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
during the 1999 Pan American Games
Basketball at the 1999 Pan American Games
This page shows the results of the basketball tournament at the 1999 Pan American Games, held in the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Canada from July 31 to August 8, 1999.-Men's tournament:-Group A:August 1, 1999August 2, 1999August 4, 1999...
with the team winning a bronze medal.
She scored her 900th career point during a Clemson-Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
game in which coach Jim Davis won his 100th game.
WNBA career
In 2001, she became the first Clemson player to be named to an active WNBA roster after being signed by the Houston CometsHouston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
. She played in three games for the team in 2003.
Coaching
Her first coaching job was a student assistant job for Liberty UniversityLiberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
in 1999. After graduation from college, her next job was at Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
, where she coached from 2000-2002. She accepted an assistant coaching job for the Lady Clemson Tigers in 2002 and is currently the Head Coach for the Lady Tigers at Clemson. One of her major functions in the program is as a recruiter.
Nigerian National Team
At the 2004 Summer Olympic Games2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Umoh-Coleman played for the Nigeria women's national basketball team
Nigeria women's national basketball team
The Nigeria women's national basketball team, also known as D'Tigers, is the national women's basketball team in Nigeria it is ranked number one in the African continent and in the top 20 in the world.-Current squad:...
. She played on the team with fellow Hephzibah High School alumnua, Joanne Aluka
Joanne Aluka
Joanne Aluka is a Nigerian American women's basketball player.Aluka competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics with the Nigeria women's national basketball team. She was born in Mississippi in the United States and acquired Nigerian citizenship through her parents. She attended Hephzibah High School in...
. In 2006, she played for the Nigerian national team at the FIBA world championships. She had the highest number of assists in the tournament.
Personal life
In December 1999, she married Harold Coleman. Together, they have one child, Jada Christine. They became the primary caregivers for her two siblings after the death of Umoh-Coleman's mother in 2002. They also care for Harold Coleman's nephew.She graduated with a degree in communications from Clemson in 2000.