Carrie Banks Resetting Expectations as the Only Black Division I Head Coach in the State of Nebraska
by Leo Adam Biga
When the University of Nebraska at Omaha hired Carrie Banks in 2020 to turn around its women’s basketball program, she became the only Black head coach at any of the state’s three universities that compete in Division I athletics. Banks, who is the first Black head coach in UNO women’s hoops history, tabbed Darryl Hudson from historically Black Jackson State as her top assistant. With assistant Tania Davis and director of basketball operations Trevon Tiggs, four of five staff members are African American, making Omaha Mavericks women’s basketball a national leader in representation.
UNO has made diversity a university-wide mandate and Banks coming on board in April 2020 marked the first of three major hires reflecting a DEI emphasis. Next was Joanne Li being named UNO’s chancellor in July 2020, making her the first woman and person of color to lead the university. The latest move came this week (Nov. 15), when UNO announced the hiring of Adrian Dowell as its new athletic director. Dowell, who is African American, becomes the first Black AD in school history. He comes to UNO from Creighton University, where he was assistant vice president and associate athletic director. Marcus Blossom became that Omaha Jesuit school’s first Black AD earlier this year.
“I think it’s important to have a diverse staff, there are so many staffs that only have that one Black assistant, and that one assistant is responsible for being the relationship and recruiting person. It’s unfortunate that is even a narrative.”
Banks is proud to lead this diversity charge.
“I think it’s important to have a diverse staff,” she said. “There are so many staffs that only have that one Black assistant, and that one assistant is responsible for being the relationship and recruiting person. It’s unfortunate that is even a narrative.”
Even though collegiate hoops has a majority minority player population, Black head coaches are the exception, not the rule. The men’s and women’s coaching staffs at Nebraska, Creighton and other schools statewide and nationally, in all sports, reflect only a fraction of UNO’s diversity.
Historically, diversity has not been much a part of the coaching ranks at UNO, where she’s the first Black head coach since Don Benning led the wrestling program in the early 1970s.
Banks came to UNO from Ohio State where she directed recruiting and coached low post players. She previously filled assistant spots at Northwestern, South Florida and Detroit Mercy, her alma mater. Long harboring a dream to be a head coach, she applied for or expressed interest in openings, to no avail. She doesn’t know if race or gender factored into being passed over.
Image Credit: University of Nebraska Omaha Athletics
“What I’ll say is this – I saw people with less experience get chances before I did. It’s not to say all things are equal in this. That’s going to happen sometimes. But that can be very frustrating and it can almost take you off your path and get you distracted. But you just have to keep going.”
Her patience paid off when UNO, whose program has struggled recently, asked her to take the reins. She’d like more Black professionals to get their chance to prove themselves.
“I hope it continues to open doors. I really hope people continue to see the value in having a diversity in voice and representation at these levels where you are a leader, you are the head coach, where you are the boss of a company because I just think it’s really important.”
Navigating the pandemic added to the challenge of being a first-time head coach in a state she never lived or worked in before, and where she had no family or friends.. Her team got hit hard by COVID-19.
“It was always a juggling of our roster. Okay, we’ve got eight people this day, seven this day. I think we got to, like, five at one point. When we would get tested we could tell by how our athletic trainer walked into the gym if something was up or we were in the clear.”
After a slow start, her team finished strong, posting back-to-back upset wins in the Summit League tournament to advance to the final, ending the pandemic shortened season 7-13.
“The biggest thing I was impressed with [by] our team is how these 19-20 year olds responded to being quarantined for up to 14 days. Some kids had to quarantine three (separate) times. I mean, that’s a lot to ask because you’re already taking away their in-person classes, putting restrictions on how many can gather in one space, and then to have to quarantine at random times, take them away from the basketball court, which is a big reason why they’re even at UNO.
“I was just impressed with their perseverance and keeping that buy-in for as long as they did. I think that’s why we were able to make a run late. A lot of teams would have folded. They would have said, this is too much – we’ll just wait ‘til next year. But every single day, without the visible proof that it was going to get better, they showed up.”
Without a full complement of players Omaha was forced to play slower-paced than planned.
“I came in wanting to play one type of way – uptempo. It’s something I’m very passionate about. But in the pandemic, with kids in and out of our lineup, half way through the season I felt like, okay, I can’t play as fast as I want, I have to really manage possessions. So we added more of a low post offense because that’s where we were getting the bulk of our scoring. I think that’s when things started to turn the corner for us.”
Taking Stock
As if the pandemic were not enough, there was the tumult from wrongful death shootings of Black citizens and the social justice protests that followed. Banks said she gave her team ample space “to talk about that stuff and what it meant to them.” She recognized that “maybe some people who weren’t as familiar with it needed to hear that experience and be open to learning more because these are their teammates they love and want to support and understand more about.”
The team came up with a Black Lives Matter T-shirt. Discussions about systemic racism and dismantling white supremacy continue.
“My biggest thing as a coach right now is to keep the conversation going. We do after-practice learning sessions about micro-aggressions, identity, implicit bias … I just want them to continue to learn and be able to reconcile how they feel about these things and expand their education beyond the classroom and court. This team is a diverse group, all different walks of life. We have to learn each other’s experiences and how to appreciate it so that we can be stronger and better when we leave this place.”
Banks invites experts to conduct forums on topics to help move the program beyond the surface of anti-Blackness to “how we identify it, how we can address it and hopefully how we can make change.” She welcomes how once seldom voiced concerns are being heard. “I’m just happy the world is taking a pause to see everything, to feel these emotions, to have these conversations. I’m glad people are talking about it.”
New Beginning
A year removed from the upheaval of last season, Omaha’s picked to finish eighth in the Summit League in 2021-2022. But the team’s true potential is unknown with seven new players in the mix.
Image Credit: University of Nebraska Omaha Athletics
“One thing I learned from last year to this year is that no two years are the same,” Banks said. “I think a lot of people assume you just kind of pick up where you left off, but we’ve got a whole new dynamic with this new team.”
How will she measure progress in year two? “First and foremost, getting more wins than losses because that’s what we’re graded on. People want to watch winning teams. Winning will help get people to our games and get some excitement about women’s basketball. Then with seven new kids, it’s making sure they’re improving along the way. I do want to pick the pace back up. We’re kind of banged up right now, so it’s going to be managing our roster again. But I’m excited about our new group and our returners as well.”
Banks wants to build a solid base of in-state talent. But coming in cold amidst a pandemic limited recruiting opportunities. Still, she feels she and her staff are making inroads with area prospects.
“The more kids and coaches we are talking to it’s going to put us in position to get the right kid at the right time that’s the right fit for our program.”
“I want to be more patient and to understand my team on a different level – the experiences they’re going through, and not just about basketball. I want to have a more well-rounded approach to developing them. My players are like, you’re so much more relaxed this year. I appreciate that. Just being patient has been a really big thing I think because having so many new people, I know their development is not going to happen overnight. It’s a process.”
She did land instate phenom Grace Cave, who led Weeping Water to a Class D-1 state title.
Banks has quickly learned volleyball, not basketball, is the sport of choice for most Nebraska girl athletes of any size. “We’ve got to change that at a grassroots level and get more tall kids playing basketball.”
Building a culture is key and Banks knows precisely the foundation she’s trying to establish.
“Last year we were laying the groundwork. Now I will know our culture is moving in the right direction if I’m not having to say the same things I had to say last year. What I’m always gauging is, ‘Hey, are they getting it? Are they taking on these behaviors I want them to take on?’”
She summarized the culture she’s trying to instill as “love, toughness and consistency – we talk a lot about what that looks like.”
Coming off last year’s whirlwind, she’s consciously tapping the brakes this second time around.
“I want to be more patient and to understand my team on a different level – the experiences they’re going through, and not just about basketball. I want to have a more well-rounded approach to developing them. My players are like, you’re so much more relaxed this year. I appreciate that. Just being patient has been a really big thing I think because having so many new people, I know their development is not going to happen overnight. It’s a process.
“I’m also trying to laugh a little bit more and have fun while we’re doing this.”
She’s found that going from assistant to head coach has its advantages and disadvantages.
“As an assistant coach you have no pressure whatsoever. You get to suggest. You get to be the cool person that the kids love because you never have to be the bad guy.”
Making Her Mark
Banks is used to adaptation. Growing up in small town Ohio, the middle child of seven siblings in an athletic family, competition ruled the day. A brother, Adam Banks, is a high school girls basketball coach in Dublin, Ohio.
With an educator mother and an attorney father, she said, “At home was constant learning, it was how can you speak and defend yourself and articulate your points.” Her parents made sure she and her siblings knew their Black heritage and history. “Both of my parents took a lot of pride in teaching us that from a very young age because they wanted us to be strong and confident in who we are. The only way to truly be that is to know where you come from and the people who came before you and what their experiences have been. I’m so appreciative of that.”
A multi-sport high school athlete, Banks went on to play hoops at the University of Detroit Mercy. She embraced lessons off the court in that big city environment. “I wanted that more culturally diverse experience. In doing that I think I got a better sense of who I am.” She graduated with a communications degree and performed well enough on the hardwood to land a contract playing professionally in Portugal. “I’m happy I had that year overseas. It was another thing that helped me grow into who I am.”
“I absolutely loved everything about her journey and how she was a head coach at Iowa, also a place where there’s not as much representation as you would see in other places. I always thought her story was very empowering and inspiring.””
Back home, she dabbled in media before coaching AAU and high school ball. Looking for direction in the coaching profession she found inspiration reading the autobiographies of two Black basketball coaching legends: C. Vivian Stringer and Nolan Richardson. As a Black woman, she closely identified with Stringer, the hall of fame coach at Rutgers who first gained fame at Iowa.
“I absolutely loved everything about her journey and how she was a head coach at Iowa, also a place where there’s not as much representation as you would see in other places. I always thought her story was very empowering and inspiring.”
Similarly, she found Richardson’s odyssey and that of other Black trailblazers motivating. “There’s been a lot of people that have shown a pathway and been an example and been something you can aspire to.”
Unlike some young coaches who may have an edge when looking to break into the field from their own high profile playing career or the recommendation of a famous coach, she said, “The only thing I’ve had to really work for me is my work.” Paying her dues is how she’s built her reputation. “But I’m happy for that because I’ve learned a lot of great things along the way. I’ve always stood by, just give me the opportunity, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
An underdog mentality adds fuel to her fire. “Yeah, I have a little bit of an underdog chip on my shoulder about it. That’s what keeps me going.”
That attitude fits her adopted home state of Nebraska, whose flyover country label motivates residents to prove negative perceptions wrong.
Finding the Right Fit at UNO
Minus any ties to Omaha, people in her life were “pretty shocked,” she said, when she ended up here. But it was too good a chance to pass up.
“Everything was kind of checking a box for me. A great school, a beautiful campus, a great place where you can build. There’s great kids in the area that you know you can attract to this place. In college athletics recruiting is a big part of what you do. There’s good basketball in Nebraska, in Iowa. Knowing there is this level of talent in our own backyard it’s just a matter of getting them here, and I think I have a really cool place to sell and a great vision for this program.”
Image Credit: University of Nebraska Omaha Athletics
Baxter Arena, where the team plays its home games, is a magnet itself. “It’s one of the best arenas in the entire country,” she said. “It’s a real nice space. I love it. It’s a great place to play.”
She also likes that “the Summit League is a really good league in women’s basketball.”
Loyalty is something she puts great stock in and the faith UNO’s shown in her she intends to repay.
“I felt like I maybe got overlooked in other interviews and it turned out to be a really great blessing that this opportunity presented itself. I probably wasn’t going to get a job where I inherited a 20-win team, so I get to build a place, put my name on it, and feel really proud about building a program from a past that wasn’t as good as it needed to be. I’m excited about that.”
Making history as the state’s only Black collegiate head coach is an extension of how Banks has often been the first or only.
“Where I grew up I was used to being the only Black girl in my class. It’s a space many Black people in this country face. My hope is that by coming to Nebraska, where the diversity is not the same as some other places I’ve been, I can show younger people that look like me this is possible, there is a pathway to this, and even though you maybe haven’t seen it in this state before, it is happening, so keep working, keep believing, and you can do whatever it is you choose to do. It’s perseverance and finding a way.”
Diversity in the state’s sports admin ranks got an added boost this past summer when Creighton made Marcus Blossom its first Black athletic director.
One of the biggest differences in being a head coach, Banks said, is that “Every single detail is much more important because it’s a reflection of your program.” She added, “I have a greater appreciation for the decision-making because I feel like I’m making so many more decisions that are like the final say than I ever have before.
“Every single day I’m worried about if my student-athletes are okay, are they being taken care of, are they making good decisions? You feel personally responsible for someone’s daughter. Just the weight of that is a little bit different.”
Make no mistake, there’s no where else she’d rather be. “I love what I’m doing. This is a dream job for me. I’m having a blast.”
Her Omaha Mavericks women’s basketball team opens the season with five road games. The Mavs fell to 0-2 after dropping a Nov. 13 contest with crosstown rival Creighton at Sokol Arena. The Mavs, who face Kansas tonight in Lawrence, make their home debut Dec. 2 versus Tennessee State, followed by another home tilt Dec. 5 against College of Saint Mary. Both games are at Baxter Arena.
For game dates, times, tickets visit https://omavs.com/index.aspx.
