NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Larry Vickers led the Norfolk State women's basketball team to new heights. Now the Spartans have found the leader they hope can sustain that success.
Norfolk State announced Friday that it has hired Jermaine Woods to be its next head women's basketball coach. A source confirmed that news to News 3 Thursday evening and the athletic department released news of the hiring late Friday morning.
Woods is a Granby High School product who played his final three collegiate seasons at Christopher Newport and just completed his third campaign as the head coach at Coppin State. The Eagles finished the 2024-2025 season with a 19-15 record, a strong turnaround from the prior year's 12-18 showing. Woods led CSU to the MEAC semifinals and the WNIT, where the Eagles were nipped in the second round by Cleveland State, 72-70.
The new leader of the Spartans has plenty of experience in the commonwealth. Following his playing career, he got his coaching start at Virginia Tech before moving on to Old Dominion. Woods is no stranger to Norfolk State, receiving his bachelor's degree from the school in 2011.
Norfolk State finished this past season with a 30-5 record, a program best. After winning the MEAC regular season and tournament titles, the Spartans earned a number 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament, another high water mark for the green and gold, where they pushed Maryland to the brink before falling, 82-69. It marked their third consecutive appearance in the big dance.
Woods will take over for Vickers, who departed for Auburn the day after NSU's loss to the Terrapins.
