University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Women's Basketball

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, Chris Robinson, announced Thursday that Erica Leak has been named the new head women’s basketball coach. The 2005 WNBA Draftee begins her era with Golden Lions Women’s Basketball as the program’s 10th head coach. With Leak being drafted at the highest level of women’s basketball (WNBA) and receiving multiple opportunities to coach at the collegiate level, Coach Leak felt that the timing was right to begin her next chapter at UAPB. Prior to joining the Golden Lions, Coach Leak led the West Memphis High School Blue Devils to the state finals for the first time since 2003, earning the title of Arkansas High School Coach of the Year in 2023. She spent four years at the helm of the 5A East powerhouse program. During her West Memphis tenure, Leak’s team became a four-time State Qualifier, a 5A State Runner-Up, and reached the 5A State Finals for the first time in 20 years. She began her coaching career at Forrest City High School, where she dramatically increased the program’s win percentage by 1,000% over four years. Leak has also played a pivotal role in developing several players who advanced to compete at the Division I and Division II levels. A native of Arkansas, Leak is highly respected among college coaches and brings a wealth of knowledge, elite basketball experience, and extensive connections across the junior college landscape and elite AAU circuits. She has also directed and led camps with the Jr. NBA, Ja Morant, and Mike Conley. “I am thrilled to welcome Coach Leak and her family to Golden Lions Nation,” said Robinson. “She rose to the top of an incredibly strong group of candidates and is uniquely poised to lead our program forward. Her dynamic personality and extremely high-level basketball intelligence will enable her to come in and make an immediate impact. Most importantly, she truly cares about the student-athlete experience and will inspire our women to achieve greatness on and off the court.” A standout 2005 graduate of Louisiana Tech University, Leak was a four-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Champion, WAC Freshman of the Year, and a four-time NCAA Tournament participant. She was drafted 19th overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. In recognition of her outstanding athletic career and lasting impact on basketball in the state of Arkansas, Coach Leak was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. "I am grateful to Athletic Director Chris Robinson and Chancellor Laurence Alexander for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the Golden Lion program. I am excited to bring my competitive edge, energy, and winning spirit to this team and strive for success both on and off the court with my players for many years to come." During her time at Palestine-Wheatley High School, Leak enjoyed an exceptional basketball career: 2001 Gatorade Player of the Year Parade All-American MVP of the 2001 Arkansas State All-Star Game 2001 Arkansas State Champion Member of the 2000 USA U19 Qualifying Olympic Team, coached by Geno Auriemma Leak was born and raised in Wheatley, Arkansas. Her family has a long history of Division I athletic excellence, including her brother Jason Smith (Ole Miss) and her nephew Carl Baker (Arkansas), as well as her sister Angela Gardner. Additionally, four of her siblings are graduates of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, deepening her personal connection to the institution. "First, I must express my gratitude to my parents, Hurley and Dorothy Smith, for instilling in me the importance of family values. My siblings have been a great source of support for me, both as a player and a coach, and I am grateful for their unwavering encouragement. My family has always emphasized the significance of Arkansas to me, and I carry that sentiment with me wherever I go. I have deep roots in Arkansas, and I'm eager to leverage my network here." Leak earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University in 2005 and her Master of Arts in Athletic Administration from Concordia University in 2023. She is happily married to her husband, Antonio, and is the proud mother of five children: daughters Nia, Tyra, Laila, Demi, and son Jace

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women's basketball coach, Erica Leak, has announced the hiring of Xavier Johnson as the program's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. "I couldn't be more excited to welcome Coach Johnson to Golden Lions Nation," Leak said. "He will bring an incredible amount of experience both on and off the court to our program. Xavier is an elite-level recruiter and teacher. Our student-athletes are going to thrive under his leadership. He brings great experience and knowledge of the women's basketball circuit landscape to help continue our vision of the good direction our program is going." Johnson has over 10 years of coaching experience, following an 11-year tenure with Greg McCall at California State Bakersfield. In 2023, he was selected to participate in the inaugural WBCA Next Generation Institute, a new advanced education program for experienced assistant coaches aspiring to become head coaches at NCAA Division I, II, and III levels.   Johnson's coaching career began as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi from 2001 to 2003, where he assisted with practice, film breakdown, exchange, and recruitment for the men's program under former Naismith Coach of the Year and current California State Bakersfield head coach Rod Barnes. He started as an assistant coach during the 2013-14 season and was later promoted to associate head coach before the 2014-15 season. Johnson has a strong focus on recruiting and player development. Over an 11-year period, he was responsible for recruiting 32 athletes, with players achieving several accolades within the WAC and Big West Conference. A native of Biloxi, MS, Johnson graduated from William Penn University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Administration. He played for two seasons for the Statesmen. He has three children: Madison, Caiden, and Aria.  

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women's basketball head coach Erica Leak has announced the addition of Roderick "Rodd" Woods to the Golden Lions staff. Woods rounds out Leak's staff for the 2024-25 season as they prepare for the upcoming season.   "We are so excited to announce coach Woods as the final piece to our staff," said Leak. "Woods is a competitor, a strong recruiter, and passionate coach whose experiences will serve him well here at UAPB. A connector by nature, who is experienced in leadership development and team development, embodies our 'six C's, (Character, Commitment, Confident, Class, Courage Culture)' mentality and will be an asset to our program."   Woods joins the pride after serving eight months as the interim head coach at Florida Memorial University. Woods brings over 22 years of experience in women's basketball coaching at every level, from high school and junior college to NCAA Division I & II. Woods spent the 2022-2023 season in Miami Shores at Barry University, where they had an overall 15-15 record and an appearance in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. In his short stint at Barry, Woods was responsible for post-player development, which led to first-year player K'Nari Holliday earning freshman of the year honors.   Prior to Barry University, Woods spent one season at East Mississippi CC, where he helped lead the Lions to a 12-13 campaign under head coach Sharon Thompson.   During his three years before East Mississippi, Woods served as an assistant coach on Ashley Walker-Johnson's staff at Mississippi Valley State University of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Before that, Woods served in the same capacity for three years at South Carolina State University of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where he helped coach two all-conference players. Woods was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, budgeting, and community outreach at both schools, overseeing individual player skill development, scouting preparation for opposing teams, and serving as the director of team and individual summer camps.   Woods spent 12 years as the head coach at Clinton College in Rock Hill, SC. He also served much of that tenure as the college's athletics director. Having eclipsed the 208 career wins, Woods guided the Golden Bears to five Region 10 runner-up finishes and coached three NJCAA Region 10 Players of the Year. His players excelled in the classroom, with six student-athletes named valedictorians of their graduating classes at Clinton. Throughout his previous coaching stint in the junior college ranks, Woods also served as a tournament director for the NJCAA Region 10 men's and women's basketball tournaments played in Fort Mill, S.C. During the summer months, and he previously served as an associate director at the Nike girls' basketball camps held annually in Amherst, Mass. Woods' basketball coaching career began at his alma mater as a volunteer assistant men's basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University during the 1996-97 season. He also spent the 1999-2000 campaign as an assistant boys' basketball coach at Lamar (S.C.) High School.   Woods played college basketball at Eastern Kentucky University during the 1994-1996 seasons. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Richmond, Kentucky. A native of Florence, S.C., Woods began his college athletic and academic careers in his home state at Spartanburg Methodist College. After teaming up as a freshman with two-time NJCAA Division I All-American and former NBA player James Scott to help lead SMC to the 1993 NJCAA National Tournament, Woods earned first-team All-Region 10 honors as a sophomore for the Pioneers.   Woods earned his master's degree in sports administration from the American Public University in Charles Town, West Virginia.  He has three children: daughters Oriona, 23, Kaelyn, 13, and son Kaiden, 15.