Kendra Eaton joined North Carolina Central University as an assistant coach with the women’s basketball program in August 2012 and was promoted to associate head coach in September 2015.
Eaton rises to the ranks of coaching after one year as coordinator of basketball operations at Wake Forest University. As the coordinator of basketball operations during the 2011-12 campaign, Eaton handled the day-to-day operations of the team, including coordinating team travel, supervising non-coaching personnel, arranging community service activities and assisting with on-campus recruiting. She also helped develop content for the Wake Forest women's basketball recruiting website.
Before joining the Demon Deacons, Eaton served two years in the academic support office at her alma mater Western Carolina University. She also worked as an intern in the women's basketball office at the Atlantic Coast Conference during the summer of 2009. Eaton helped facilitate the officiating camp and assisted with the ACC Tournament brochure while working in the conference office.
Eaton earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management with a concentration in athletic administration and professional sport with a minor in marketing and coaching from WCU in 2009. During her matriculation, Eaton was a member of the Lady Catamount basketball program.
As a player at Western Carolina, Eaton was a four-year letterwinner and became the 22nd member of the 500-point club. She played in a total of 117 games in her career and finished with 721 points and 524 rebounds. As a senior, Eaton helped the Catamounts to a SoCon Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“Coach Eaton has a variety of experiences and we’re excited to allow her to utilize those experiences in our program,” said Taylor. “She oversaw academic and life skills services for more than 200 student-athletes at Western Carolina, helped facilitate a well-run program as the director of operations for women’s basketball at Wake Forest, and she was an outstanding player who has played on championship teams under Kellie Harper, a product of legendary coach Pat Summit.
“Simply stated, coach Eaton is a winner who knows how to get it done,” said Taylor. “She has a youthful energy that will help the synergy of our staff.”
Continuing to grow academically, Eaton earned a master’s degree in physical education and sport science, specializing in athletics and sport business administration in 2011, from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.
Eaton is a Winston-Salem, N.C., native and was a star at Mount Tabor High School. She tallied over 1,500 points and more than 1,000 rebounds in her career and was named the Metro 4A Player of the Year as a senior. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Inc.,Pi Gamma Chapter. Eaton, who most recently attended the 2014 NCAA Women’s Coaches Academy in Denver, Colorado, has family coaching ties as her uncle, Byron Samuels, is the head men's basketball coach at Florida A&M.
