Tron Griffin has been named the next head women’s basketball coach of Truett McConnell University, the athletic department announced Wednesday morning.
Griffin comes to the Lady Bears after spending the past four years at NCAA Division I Prairie View A&M University in Texas.
“Coach Griffin is an exceptional man with significant championship experience coaching women’s basketball at the NCAA Division I level,” said TMU Director of Athletics Dr. Stacy Hall. “He has won championships while being a student-athlete in high school and college and has won championships while coaching high school and college.”
Griffin takes over the Lady Bears program in the final year of playing in the Bear Cave as the basketball programs will move to the new $13 million George Blaurock Student Wellness Center that is currently being constructed on campus. The facility, equipped with a 1/8-mile track, state-of-the-art exercise equipment, new basketball offices, and much more, is scheduled to open in January 2017.
In his time at PVAMU as Associate Head Coach, he helped lead the Lady Panthers to NCAA Tournaments in 2013 and 2014, where they took on the top national seed both years in Baylor and UConn, respectively.
In those same years, the Lady Panthers were also Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament Champions with players garnering the SWAC Tournament MVP both years. While at PVAMU, Griffin helped lead his team to wins over Memphis, Houston, Louisiana Tech, and many more mid-major teams as well as a 7-2 record in SWAC Tournament play.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to build the women’s basketball program at Truett McConnell University with Christ as the center of everything that we do,” said Griffin. “My family and I are so enthused about the support and faith that Dr. Caner and Dr. Hall has in our family, the university and the direction of the women’s basketball program. I am ready to get to work and begin building a winning culture here at Truett.”
Prior to his stint at PVAMU, Griffin was Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at his alma mater, Bethune-Cookman. Here, Griffin assisted in coaching the NCAA leader in steals for the 2011-12 season in Demetria Frank, who currently plays professionally in Puerto Rico for Leonas de Ponce.
Griffin began his coaching career at Union County High School in Lake Butler, Florida, where he led the girls’ varsity basketball team to a 21-5 record in 2009 and a Florida state ranking of 7th.
In college, Griffin was a member of Bethune-Cookman’s football team from 2002-06 and also played basketball in the 2003-04 season. He was a part of the 2002 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship football team and went to the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs in 2002 and 2003. While at Bethune-Cookman, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Studies with a concentration on Business Education.
“Tron believes in what we are trying to accomplish at TMU and that’s to win championships in discipleship, academics, service to others, and in basketball,” said Hall. “He believes that God has called him to our great university to make a difference in our student-athletes’ lives. I have truly enjoyed getting to know him and his wife Sheena. I welcome them and their two daughters, Kimora and Kayden, to our family.”
There will be a formal press conference on Wednesday, June 29, at 4 p.m. in the Bear Cave at the Nix Center. The public are welcome to attend.
