DeUnna Hendrix begins her seventh season at the helm of the High Point University women’s basketball program third in HPU history with 103 wins and a 74-40 Big South mark.
Last year, the Panthers snapped a streak of four straight seasons with a losing record in non-conference play going 6-5 outside of the league with key wins over Stetson, Norfolk State and UNCG. The squad carried that momentum into a 6-0 start in Big South action. The team rode that hot start to a fourth-place finish and a semifinal appearance in the Big South Championship.
Following the season, Emma Bockrath was named to the All-Big South First Team and was a repeat member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Similarly, Lindsey Edwards picked up her second straight selection to the league’s all-academic team.
In 2016-17, Hendrix and the Purple & White experienced one of the most impressive mid-season turnarounds in the country. High Point dropped 11 of its first 14 games, but went on a tear through the conference and finished the regular season 15-14 with a 13-5 league mark, which was good for a tie for second in the league.
One of the major keys to the turnaround, Bockrath became the seventh sophomore and third Panther to be named Big South Player of the Year. Joining Bockrath in earning all-conference accolades, Kaylah Keys (Second Team), Camryn Brown (Freshman) and Edwards (Academic) gave HPU four award winners.
The 2015-16 season was a new experience for Hendrix and the Panthers as the team featured seven freshmen – with two in the starting lineup. The squad’s newcomers accounted for 56 percent of the team’s points as HPU went 12-19 (10-10) on the year. Kaylah Keys led Big South in scoring (15.1 ppg) en route to a second team all-conference selection. Likewise, Emma Bockrath and Haleigh Hatfield found themselves on the league’s all-freshmen team.
In 2014-15, the Panthers finished 20-12 to produce the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons in the Division I era. Big South Player of the Year and AP All-American honorable mention Stacia Robertson led Hendrix’s squad. Robertson and Keys became the eighth and ninth Panthers to eclipse 1,000 career points since the switch to Division I as Hendrix and HPU fell one game short of an NCAA berth.
With the team’s 67-50 win at UNC Asheville on Jan. 13, 2015, Hendrix moved to 50-30 as a head coach to become the fastest coach in HPU’s Division I era to reach 50 wins.
In her second season as the head coach, Hendrix guided the Panthers to a 2013-14 Big South Conference regular season championship and was named the Big South Coach of the Year. The Panthers advanced to the Big South Championship game and made the program’s third appearance in the Women's NIT.
HPU went 22-11 overall and 16-4 in Big South play in 2013-14. The 16 Big South wins were a program record and the 22 overall wins were the most in Div. I history. Hendrix instilled her up-tempo style and blue-collar defensive approach and led the Panthers to a record-setting season. HPU set a program record for scoring offense, averaging 72.6 points per game.
Under Hendrix’s guidance Keys was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Conference. Robertson also earned a spot on the All-Big South first team while DeAnneisha Jackson joined Keys on the All-Freshman team.
In her first season as High Point's head coach, the Purple & White posted a 17-13 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Big South play. Hendrix coached 2012-13 Big South Defensive Player of the Year Cheyenne Parker who led the NCAA with 4.5 blocks per game and set HPU single season records in points per game (17.9) rebounds per game (13.2) and blocks (130).
High Point has had unprecedented success against Big South powerhouse Liberty under Hendrix. Prior to 2014-15, HPU had won the last three meetings with Liberty at the Vines Center. High Point was the first Big South team to defeat Liberty at the Vines Center in three-straight years since UNC Greensboro posted four straight wins at the Vines Center between 1993-94 and 1996-97. In 2013-14, the Panthers swept the season series from Liberty, becoming just the third Big South team to do so in the last 15 seasons.
During Hendrix’s tenure, she has coached two Big South Players of the Year (Bockrath and Robertson) and five All-Big South First Team members (Parker, Robertson (2x), Keys and Bockrath). Along with that, Keys has been named to the All-Big South Second Team twice and five All-Freshman Team selections. Highlighting those All-Freshman Team selections, Keys was the Freshman of the Year and Bockrath finished as the runner-up for the award in her first collegiate campaign.
Along with ranking third in HPU history with 103 victories, Hendrix’s .649 winning percentage in Big South games is the the fourth-best in league history among coaches with 70-plus wins.
Hendrix was named the ninth head coach of the HPU women’s basketball team in May 2012. She was promoted to the head job after a year as an assistant coach at HPU, when she helped lead the Panthers to a 20-13 record and their second Women’s NIT appearance.
As an assistant, Hendrix played a large role in the successful 2011-12 season. High Point had its second 20-win season since moving up to NCAA Div. I in 1999-2000. The Panthers’ 13 Big South wins were most in team history and HPU made it to the Big South tournament final for the third time. The team won a program-record nine games in a row in January.
Hendrix joined High Point University in 2011 after four years as a coach at Jacksonville University under head coach Jill Dunn. The Dolphins advanced to the Atlantic Sun championship game in three out of her four seasons, including 2011. The team went 23-9 in 2007-08, the best overall record in program history. Hendrix was instrumental in helping Regina Omoite finish her career as one of the top floor leaders in the history of the program, setting records for assists in a career (459) and season (154).
Prior to Jacksonville, Hendrix played at the University of Richmond under Joanne Boyle, who is now head coach at the University of Virginia. Hendrix was team captain and helped the Spiders to an NCAA Tournament appearance as well as the Women’s NIT semifinals. The team posted two 23-win seasons. Hendrix earned her bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communications.
Hendrix went on to play professionally for the Jacksonville Cougars of the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League in the summer of 2008. It was the league’s inaugural season and Hendrix was elected team captain.
Originally from Kokomo, Ind., Hendrix was a three-sport athlete during her prep career at Kokomo High School. She was a first-team All-State selection as a senior, leading her team to an undefeated season, a state championship and a No. 14 national ranking. She currently resides in Greensboro.
"As we went through the process of selecting a new head coach, it became clear that we had a great leader and a rising star in DeUnna Hendrix. DeUnna is great with her X's and O's and is great at getting her message across to her players. Keeping continuity with our current players as well as our recruits will be a huge plus moving forward. This is an exciting day for High Point University women's basketball."
"I'm so excited for DeUnna, the kids and for High Point University – it's a great situation. She and I have a lot of similarities in our coaching philosophies, which is why I relied on her so heavily last year. She oversaw our game planning and scouting and she's very good with her X's and O's. DeUnna is an exceptional recruiter, both in evaluating talent and developing relationships. I planned to bring her to Wake Forest with me but obviously this is such a great opportunity for DeUnna and HPU."
"DeUnna was a strong, athletic combo guard and one of the hardest working players I coached at the University of Richmond. I have no doubt that her worker's mentality on the court will translate into her role as a head coach. She's a great recruiter but more importantly she is a great person. I look forward to following DeUnna's success at High Point University."
"DeUnna has a great basketball mind. Her basketball knowledge is beyond her years and she is going to have a great future at High Point. She has also developed into an excellent recruiter because she takes the time to build the relationships with the student-athletes. We wish her the best of luck."
