LORMAN, Miss. – Having experienced success first-hand
at Alcorn State University, Nate Kilbert was named head women’s
basketball coach, announced Tuesday.
Kilbert served as assistant coach at Alcorn from 1991-2001. During that
span, the Lady Braves won nine titles including six regular season
championships and three SWAC Tournaments.
It was Kilbert’s second stint with the Lady Braves as he previously served as a graduate assistant from 1987-89.
“What an awesome opportunity this is to be able to return to Alcorn
State University where I not only earned my master’s degree, but also
helped the Lady Braves establish themselves as a powerhouse in the
SWAC,” Kilbert said. “Beginning with success in the classroom and doing
something I’ve always done – recruiting students who are equipped with
skills to matriculate success in their academic fields, and who will all
leave the University with their degree in-hand. The return of Lady
Braves basketball to their glory days begins right here and right now.
We’ve had some good days, but the best is yet to come.”
Kilbert has 18 years of head coaching experience in the SWAC.
“I’m proud to announce Nate Kilbert to the Lady Brave faithful. Coach
Kilbert is making a homecoming – we couldn’t be more excited to have a
leader with his experience, championship rings and a reputation for
academic success. He was a vital part of the Alcorn coaching staff that
established a dynasty from 1991 to 2001,” said director of athletics
Derek Horne. “We’re confident that Coach Kilbert will take our program
to prominence.”
In 2001, He took over as head women’s basketball coach at Mississippi
Valley State for 12 seasons. Kilbert went on to become head women’s
basketball coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff from 2012-19 where he became the
winningest coach in program history.
Kilbert earned back-to-back SWAC Coach of the Year honors in 2012 &
2013. He coached the Delta Devilettes to the SWAC regular season title
in 2011-12 and made an appearance in the NIT. Academically, Kilbert’s
2010-11 squad won the SWAC women’s basketball highest Team GPA award.
“I am so happy. This is the best news that Alcorn women’s basketball has
had in a long time. Nate is a very good coach and I won four SWAC
titles under him. He is a great mentor and I only have good things to
say about him,” said Nickie Tatum, who lettered at Alcorn from 1992-95
and was a two-time All-Conference First-Team selection. “Having him back
at Alcorn is going to bring a lot of people back together to support
the program. Hopefully a lot of fans, students and old teammates will
come back and fill the stands for games like it was when we were
playing.”
As a student-athlete, Kilbert was a four-year letterwinner at MVSU. The
point guard led the team to the 1986 SWAC Championship and went on to
play in the NCAA Tournament.
A native of Sallis, Mississippi, Kilbert was inducted into the MVSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
“We’re excited to tip-off the decade by hiring a women’s basketball
coach with a proven track record of winning conference championships and
graduating students. [Coach Kilbert] and AD Horne have assured me that
we’ll have championship rings and college degrees. We know that winning
is important, but we also know that student-athletes should leave here
proud and prepared to succeed. I’m eager to get back into the Whitney
Complex and cheer-on the Lady Braves, and will be just as excited when
each of them crosses the stage during their commencement ceremony,” said
Dr. Felecia M. Nave, University President.
In addition to his assistant coaching duties at Alcorn in basketball,
Kilbert was also the head volleyball coach from 1994-2000. In seven
seasons, the Lady Braves never had a losing season in conference and
Kilbert tallied an 89-51 SWAC record.
Kilbert graduated from MVSU with a bachelor’s in health, physical
education & recreation in 1987. He earned his master’s in secondary
education, health and physical education from Alcorn in 1989.
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