Recently Hired HBCU HC Adds Former Player to Staff

Miami Herald

11 hours ago

HBCU women's basketball is getting a powerful new pairing. When new Prairie View A&M head coach Tai Dillard needed someone to help shape the future of her program, she didn't have to look far. She reached back to a trusted former player. One who embodies toughness, leadership, and the kind of drive Dillard wants to instill at PVAMU. Enter Bria Patterson, who will join the Lady Panthers as the Director of Basketball Operations for the 2025–26 season.
This move isn't just a hire-it's a full-circle moment.
Dillard, a Texas basketball legend in her own right, spent nearly a decade at the University of Houston building one of the American Athletic Conference's most competitive squads. While serving as the Cougars' associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, she scouted and mentored standout players. Including a gritty guard from DeSoto High School named Bria Patterson.
Now, Dillard and Patterson are teaming up again in women's basketball-this time at one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's (SWAC) most tradition-rich HBCU institutions.
"Bria was the kind of player every coach wants-disciplined, fearless, and coachable," Dillard said. "To now bring her into the operations side of the game is special. She knows what I expect, and more importantly, she knows how to connect with the student-athletes we're building around."
Patterson, who starred at Houston from 2019 to 2023, was known for doing the dirty work. She made 29 starts in her senior year and set a school record for most minutes in a single game. Logging 54 in a triple-overtime classic against East Carolina. She routinely ranked among the team's leaders in rebounds, steals, and defensive stops, often guarding the opposing team's best perimeter scorer.
While her box score stats were impressive-nearly 300 points and 66 steals her senior year-her true value came in her intangibles. Patterson led by example, grinded through adversity, and never backed down from a challenge. All of that will now carry over to her role at Prairie View A&M.
The Director of Basketball Operations gig is more than just logistics. It's about setting a culture. Patterson will coordinate team travel, manage schedules, oversee day-to-day program operations, and serve as a liaison between coaches and players.
For someone who lived the student-athlete grind under Dillard's demanding style, it's a role tailor-made for her.
"Bria's voice matters because she's walked the walk," Dillard said. "She'll be a tremendous mentor for our young women because she knows what it takes to succeed in this system."
The hiring of Patterson also signals something deeper: Tai Dillard is building her program with loyalty and trust.
A San Antonio native and former WNBA player, Dillard is one of the most respected basketball minds in Texas. She played for legendary coach Jody Conradt at the University of Texas, where she helped lead the team to a Final Four appearance in 2003. She later played for the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Houston Comets (now known as the Houston Stealth). Her coaching stops include stints at Ole Miss, USC, UTSA, and, most recently, the University of Houston, where she became one of the most respected recruiters in the country.
At Houston, she helped guide the Cougars to multiple WNIT appearances and mentored record-setting guard Laila Blair. Dillard was also selected for the NCAA Champion Forum, a premier leadership development program for rising head coaches.
Now at Prairie View A&M, she's not just trying to win games. She's trying to build an HBCU program with staying power-and that starts with bringing in people who share her vision.
In Patterson, Dillard has someone who knows the system, understands the standards, and can help bridge the gap between past success and future dominance.
Patterson's journey from a three-time First Team All-District selection at DeSoto High to key contributor at Houston-and now to Prairie View A&M's operations team-embodies the values of grit and growth.
"I'm excited to be part of something bigger than myself," Patterson said. "Coach Dillard changed my life as a player. Now, I get to help her change lives at Prairie View."
With Tai Dillard steering the ship and Bria Patterson helping run the engine room, HBCU women's basketball just got a serious upgrade.
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