FAMU Hires Ledawn S. Gibson as New Women's Basketball Coach

Florida A&M University (FAMU) today hired Ledawn S. Gibson, a former head coach at Winter Haven High School, as its new women’s basketball coach.

“We are pleased that we found someone that we believe is a good fit for our program,” said FAMU Athletic Director Bill Hayes. “She is a talented coach who has demonstrated from year-to-year that she has what it takes to lead us to a championship.”

FAMU Board of Trustees today approved a three-year contract for Gibson with an annual salary of $90,000.

“When you consider her record and history, I’m confident that we have found the right coach for our program,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “We were looking for consistency and a person with the ability to build a winning program. We found it in Coach Gibson.”

In her 12 years at Winter Haven High School, she amassed a career record of 331-48. She secured nine district titles, eight regional titles, and two state championship titles. From 1999 – 2007, her team was the Florida High School Athletics Association District Champion. She was the Florida High School Athletics Association District 12 “Coach of the Year” from 1999-2008. During that same period, the NewsChief selected Gibson as “Coach of the Year” and she was also the “Coach of the Year” for the Lakeland Ledger in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007. Her team won the Florida High School Athletics Association Class 4A State Championship in 2005 and in 2007 won the association’s 5A State Championship. USA Today ranked her program among the top 10 in the U.S. in 2007-2008 and ranked the program among the top 20 in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006; and among the top 15 in the U.S. in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007.