Southern University & A&M College Women's Basketball

Coach Carlos Funchess is entering his seventh season as the leader of the Southern University Women's Basketball program.  The 2022-23 season ended on a high note with the Lady Jaguars in California for the NCAA Tournament and second appearance under Coach Funchees leadership. The Jaguars won their second SWAC Tournament title in four years by defeating UAPB. During his first year as Head Coach of the Lady Jags, Coach Funchess lead SU to the 2018-19 SWAC Regular Season Championship, 2019 SWAC Tournament Champions (first since 2010) and a 2019 NCAA Tournament appearance finishing the season 20-13 (14-4). He was named the 2019 SWAC Coach of the Year as well as receiving the 2019 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year, by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. During the previous 14 seasons, Funchess served as assistant coach under former head coach Sandy Pugh at Southern University, where he worked exclusively with developing the Jaguars post players, including All-SWAC performers Frederika Lewis, Freda Allen, Jasmine Jefferson and Briana Green. Since his arrival to Baton Rouge in 2005, Coach Funchess has been instrumental in guiding the women's basketball program at Southern University to five SWAC Regular Season Championships and three SWAC Tournament Titles. Funchess is also known as a tireless recruiter, canvassing much of the Southeast and Texas for hidden talent which has helped Southern become a perennial SWAC title contender. In 2018 Coach Funchess led the Jaguars to its second straight SWAC Regular season title and SWAC Tournament Title and was named SWAC Coach of the Year and 2019 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year, by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. A native of Magee, Miss., Funchess is a former two-time All-Southland Conference performer and the 1991 co-Player of the Year at then-Northeast Louisiana University (ULM) and received national recognition after his senior season when he won the 1991 College Slam Dunk Contest on ESPN. Funchess was selected in the Continental Basketball Association draft in the third round by Oklahoma City, U.S. Basketball League in Atlanta, and the World Basketball League in Saskatchewan. For the next three years, Funchess played for the Miami Heat, Global Basketball Association, U.S. Basketball League in Atlanta, Continental Basketball League in Sioux Falls, and played some overseas in Venezuela. In 2007, Funchess was inducted into the ULM Sports Hall of Fame. Before starring at Northeast Louisiana, Funchess played his prep basketball at Magee, Miss., High before going to Copiah-Lincoln Community college. In 1992, Funchess received a bachelor's degree in Health and Human Performance from Louisiana-Monroe. He is married to the former Sondia Mills of Monroe and has two daughters, Tynee and Chelsea.

Coach T.J. Pugh is no stranger on the Jaguar Sideline and to Coach Carlos Funchess. He helped guide the Lady Jags to the 2017-18 SWAC Regular Season Championship and a WNIT Postseason appearance finishing the season 17-14 (14-4). The 2018-19 season followed suite under first year Head Coach Carlos Funchess as the Lady Jags won the 2018-19 SWAC Regular Season Championship, 2019 SWAC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance finishing the season 20-13 (14-4). Coach Pugh played basketball at LSU from 1990-1992.  

Jeremy Bonin enters his fourth season as an assistant coach at Southern in 2020-2021 and 19th year of coaching. In his first season on the Southern sideline he helped guide the Lady Jags to the 2017-18 SWAC Regular Season Championship and a WNIT Postseason appearance finishing the season 17-14 (14-4). The 2018-19 season followed suite under first year Head Coach Carlos Funchess as the Lady Jags won the 2018-19 SWAC Regular Season Championship, 2019 SWAC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance finishing the season 20-13 (14-4). For the past five years, Bonin has been coaching at New Iberia Senior High School in New Iberia, Louisiana. He Helped lead them to 2 quarter final appearances and their first LHSAA Top 28 appearance in 20 years in the 2013-14 season. Also, in the last five years he has helped guide 8 young women to play collegiately. Most notably, Kierra Anthony of Louisiana Tech, all-league performer and Moesha Kinard of Lamar, All-League performer. Prior to New Iberia Senior High School, Bonin was assistant at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, TX. While under the direction of Michael and Kenya Landers, Bonin helped the Lady Cardinals back to the top of NJCAA. Trinity Valley went 70-3 in two seasons. They won 2 conference championships, 2 Regional – 14 conference Championships and played in National Championship games each year. In 2011, he helped Trinity Valley to a 36-0 record and a National Championship. That team included, NJCAA National Player of the Year Sha'Kayal Caples and Kodak All-American Kenna Flax. Before Trinity Valley, Bonin assisted Michael Landers in starting Baton Rouge Community College Women's Basketball program in 2009-2010. In the first year of the program's existence, Lady Bears went 22-6, won the Miss/Lou Conference Championship and was Region 23 runner-up. He began his coaching career in New Iberia where he coached for 7 years before leaving to head to Baton Rouge Community College. Coach Bonin along with President Todd Russ of the Iberia Parish Biddy Basketball Association, helped to grow the organization to one of the biggest programs in the state.

Patrece Carter enters her first year on the Women’s Basketball staff serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. For the past two years, Carter was the head coach at North DeSoto High School in Stonewall, Louisiana where she turned a struggling program into a competitive squad. She doubled the number of wins, doubled game attendance, and placed four players on All-District 1-4A teams. Before returning to prep basketball, Carter served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for three seasons under former head coach Kacie Cryer at McNeese State University, where she worked exclusively with developing the Cowgirls post players, including All-Southland performer, Divine Tanks, and All-Southland and All-Louisiana performer, Damilola Balogun. Carter spent four seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Louisiana College (2014-2018) where she is also one of the greatest female athletes to play for the program. She was inducted into the Louisiana College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 after one of the most successful careers in LC women’s basketball history. Carter guided Louisiana College to three American Southwest Conference Tournament appearances (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18). In her first season as head coach in 2014-2015, Carter led her team to a 17-8 overall record with a 13-7 mark in conference play and a no. 3 seed in the ASC Tournament. In the 2016-17 season, Carter’s team was the lowest seed and walked away as the American Southwest Conference Tournament runners-up after knocking off the top two seeds to advance to the finals. She took over the women’s basketball program at Winnfield Senior High School in 2010 and had instant success. In only her second season as head coach, Carter’s team won the 2011 Class 2A State Championship, she was named the Class 2A state Coach of the Year as well as the Central Louisiana Coach of the Year. She was also a three-time District 3-2A Coach of the Year (2010-2012) and was an assistant coach for the East team in the 2012 Louisiana High School Coach’s Association All-Star game. She produced three district MVP’s, one Class 2A MVP, one Class 2A Championship MVP, five All-Louisiana and seven all-state academic players. As a player, Carter started her Lady Wildcat career off with a bang, as she was named the LC and ASC East Freshman of the year as well as ASC East Honorable Mention honors in her inaugural campaign in 2001. That set the stage for one of the finest careers in the history of Louisiana College women’s basketball. A member of the 1,000-point club and still the holder of the single game scoring record with 45 points against the University of Texas-Tyler on January 5, 2004, Carter’s list of honors and awards put her in elite company in LC’s rich athletics history. During Carter’s final three seasons, she was named 2nd Team All-ASC as a sophomore (2002), 1st Team All-ASC and an NCCAA Division I All-American as a junior (2003). During her senior season, Carter was the ASC’s leading scorer and ranked 4th in all of NCAA Division III at 22.0 points per game. That season, she was named 2nd Team All-Louisiana, 1st Team All-ASC, D3Hoops.com All-South Region, the LC Female Athlete of the Year, a 2-time member of the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week, and a multiple time winner of the ASC women’s basketball Player of the Week. Away from LC, Carter represented USA Athletes International, Inc., a team that won first place in Holland in 2003. Carter earned her Bachelor of Biology degree from Louisiana College in 2004. She possesses two master’s degrees, one in Education Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix (2014), and one in Sports Management and Administration from Liberty University (2017).