LEXINGTON, Va. – Washington and Lee University announced it received a Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF).
Grants were awarded to institutions to support collegiate women coaches on the rise, assisting with living expenses, professional development and mentorship. W&L is one of 10 universities and colleges to receive the grants, which are designated for women coaching fellows in a wide variety of women's sports.
"I am incredibly proud of Erin for receiving this grant for the Advancement of Women in Coaching and very grateful to the Tara VanDerveer Fund and the Women's Sport Foundation for making this opportunity available to women in the coaching profession," remarked W&L Head Women's Basketball Coach
Christine Clancy. "Erin's commitment to her professional, educational and leadership development, coupled with her passion for coaching and developing our student-athletes into empowered leaders has earned her this opportunity. We are lucky to have Erin in our program as a role model for our students."
WSF VanDerveer Fellow
Erin Hughes '21 is entering her third season as the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at W&L, following a four-year playing career on the team. Hughes was a three-time All-ODAC honoree, the 2019 ODAC Defensive Player of the Year and was named an Honorable Mention on the 2021 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Team. Also the recipient of the 2021 W&L Athletics Department's Wink Glasgow Spirit and Sportsmanship award, Hughes holds the women's basketball program's single-season steals record (77) and she is 13th on the program's all-time scoring list (1,027).
As a coach, Hughes has helped the Generals to a 42-14 overall record over the last two seasons and the program's second all-time ODAC Championship in 2023. The team has seen back-to-back 20-win seasons (the first two in program history), two straight NCAA Championship berths and numerous individual and team records broken.
"We are honored to be selected as one of Women's Sports Foundation VanDerveer Fund recipients," said W&L Head Women's Soccer Coach Tiffany Pins, who is serving as Hughes' Mentor Coach for the fellowship. "Our university is committed to creating an environment that supports gender equity. Erin is already an outstanding model of a leader in our department. This grant will provide Erin with the opportunity to professionally grow while continuing to work with our student-athletes."
Since Title IX's passage, the percentage of women in collegiate coaching roles has declined by more than 50%. During the 1970-71 academic year, 90% of women's college teams had women as head coaches. Fast forward to the 2021-2022 academic year, where women held only 41% of head coaching positions in women's NCAA sports. Furthermore, BIPOC women, who have historically been under-represented in the coaching ranks, held only 7% of head coaching roles in women's NCAA sports. In the same year, only 28% of all NCAA assistant coaches were women, with only 7% of all assistant coaches for men's and women's teams being BIPOC women.
According to the data, there is a clear lack of representation in coaching positions throughout the country; WSF is addressing this by growing the pipeline at the collegiate level by awarding grants from the VanDerveer Fund. Throughout the grant year, WSF implements a program for VanDerveer Fellows that opens doors to mentoring opportunities with coaches and leaders in the collegiate space, including a call with Tara VanDerveer and invitations to workshops addressing topics to help aspiring women coaches thrive in today's collegiate sports landscape.
The Fund has seen success and has made an impact during its short lifespan. Out of the first four classes, 25 VanDerveer Fellows continue to lead in coaching roles, six have stepped into head coaching positions and four have used their fellowship experience to secure jobs in a sports-related field.
"We at the Women's Sports Foundation know that building a strong pipeline for women in leadership is vital to ensure the sports ecosystem for girls and women continues to grow on and off the field of play," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "When girls and young women have powerful role models to look up to, such as coaches and beyond, it empowers them to keep playing and strive to reach their own full potential. That is why we are determined to continue our work to close the coaching gender gap with this important Fund that honors Tara VanDerveer's history-making legacy."
To learn more about the VanDerveer Fund and meet the 2023 grant recipients, please visit:
WSF Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching
About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. From its inception to Title IX's 50th anniversary in 2022, WSF has invested over $100 million in these impact efforts, helping to shape the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports
® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit
www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conferences championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
