Stokes dismissed, replaced by Mebane

Lady Rams basketball coach Dee Stokes was released Feb. 9 despite in November calling the 2009-2010 season her last at Winston-Salem State to focus on other endeavors.

Stokes, who coached her final game Feb. 8, a 67-26 loss against MEAC rival Hampton, has been involved with coaching for 16 years and head coaching at WSSU since 2006.    Stokes finished with less than 20 wins during her four seasons as head coach.  

"We are truly grateful for Coach Stokes' service to the University and to our student-athletes," Athletic Director Bill Hayes said.

Hayes also said that he thinks that her resignation in November had a huge impact on the players and that playing quality athletics just wasn't there.

"I thought that a change was necessary," Hayes said.

"I thought that it [the change] might provide the momentum where we can finish the season off with some energy and excitement."

The Lady Rams have accumulated three wins this season, the last one a 66-65 overtime victory over Presbyterian in Kentucky Nov. 22. 

Hayes added that Stokes will not be moved into another position to fulfill her contract.

Stokes was replaced by interim coach Walter Mebane from Durham Feb. 10.

Hayes said that Mebane was selected because of his coaching experience, which spans more than 28 years.

Collegiately, Mebane served as an assistant and head coach for 11 years at Hampton.

He led them to a playoff berth in the MEAC Basketball Championship title game in 2009.

Mebane also has experience as an athletic director for Atlantic Shores High School in Chesapeake, Va. and a volunteer coach for WSSU's men's basketball team.

"He has a mannerism and demeanor that will encourage our student-athletes to play at their best," Hayes said of Mebane.

Hayes said there were 62 applicants that applied for the women's head coach vacancy; however, Mebane was not one of them.  

He also said there is a selection committee in place and the position is expected to be filled on a permanent basis by the end of February.

Since Mebane has taken over, the Lady Rams have lost four more road games, against Morgan State, Coppin State, Norfolk State and NC A&T.

A highlight during Stokes's tenure was success recruiting quality student-athletes, who have excelled academically. 

With Stokes at the helm, the Lady Rams placed in the higher rankings of athletic programs at WSSU.

In each semester except for one, her teams finished with GPAs of 2.8 to 3.0.

"My team has gotten a lot better academically," Stokes said in a December 2009 article published in The News Argus.           

"Mentoring kids and having an impact on them means more than just coaching them to wins, and I think that we've done that, and [I'm]very proud of that."

Stokes also said in that same article with The News Argus that she had interest in assisting with the decision on the next coach for the women's basketball team, but Hayes said that she is not a part of the selection process.