From Greensboro to Wilmington, former high school basketball coach Brittany Drew brings her knowledge and experience of the game to Trask Coliseum. 

Native to Greensboro, N.C., Drew played ball at Page High School and Guilford College and was recognized as a top-performing guard and All-Conference player at both establishments. She may only stand at 5’3,” but her game was anything but small. Drew marked down 870 career points, almost 199 assists, and over 100 steals at Guilford from 2011-2015.  

Drew is UNCW’s newest assistant coach for Women’s Basketball this 2024-25 season, carrying her passion and dedication from the sidelines of High Point Christian Academy (HPCA) for the past five years, and delivering it to the NCAA Division I level. Before HPCA, she also coached at Grimsley High School as the JV girls head coach and varsity assistant, along with coaching the Greensboro Gators and Team Felton AAU teams. 

“I knew Coach Woods well,” Drew shared, referring to head coach Nicole Woods, who called her a few months ago about the position. “She was one of the few Division I coaches that really answered my calls and valued my opinions.” 

When Drew got Woods’ call, she admited she was taken aback. “My first thought was like, me?” she said. 

A two-month transition period was all it took for Drew to officially be part of UNCW athletics. After relocating to Wilmington, she’s adjusting to her new role and the atmosphere at the university.  

During her time spent coaching the girls’ team at HPCA, Drew learned the demands of coaching at the high school level. “As a high school coach, you wear many hats,” she said. From coach to bus driver, to counselor to mental health specialist, “Everything is on your shoulders.” 

Now, Drew is eager to focus on being the best assistant coach she can be at UNCW, where she hopes to channel her energy and expertise into the role, learn from her colleagues and add her own touch.  

Drew’s philosophy on coaching stems from her own experiences as a player and coach. “I want to be the coach and mentor that I didn’t always have,” she reflected. “I want to take all the good from my past coaches and put it into one.”   

According to Drew, coaching is one of the most critiqued professions. Parents and fans don’t see the hours of film being watched, the early mornings and late nights running over plays prepping for gameday, or anything that comes in between. They only see the result and that’s just a fraction of what it really takes, she said. 

Soon into her new role, Drew made efforts to connect with the team by focusing on the players’ personal lives outside of basketball. She believes relationships built off the court are what nurture the relationship on the court.  

“At the end of the day, they’re still kids,” she said. “If we as coaches don’t have a good impact on them, it could affect them post-college, and that’s probably the worst time, because they need to be prepared for life.” 

Drew is excited about the future of the program under Coach Woods’ leadership and says this year’s team is a makeup of ideal players fine-tuned by Woods and fellow team staff.  

“We have four really good freshmen who are ready to play and five transfers that will bring maturity and experience,” Drew said. The four freshmen in reference are guards Tia Dobson (#4), Finley Lohan (#5) and Ofir Parpara (#9), along with center Angelina Pelayo (#24). As for transfers, she highlights forward Alexandra “Ali” Zelaya (#0) from UNC Chapel Hill, guard Kate Hollifield (#3) from Belmont University, forward Isis Fitch (#8) from Bradley University, forward Torin Rogers (#11) from Richmond University and guard Jania Hall (#20) from Monmouth University. 

With Woods at the helm and Drew on board, the team is motivated to build on last season’s lessons. “We’re all taking notice of what happened last year and using it as fuel,” Drew said, referencing the team’s 5-25 regular season stats. As she embraces her new role as assistant coach, it’s obvious she’s set on being a game-changer at UNCW, weaving her Brittany Drew flare into every play. 

As college basketball season nears, the Lady Seahawks kick off their season in Blacksburg, Va. against Virginia Tech on Nov. 2. To support UNCW Athletics and witness this season’s fresh lineup, you can stream all games for free by visiting UNCWsports.com and clicking on Live Events.