Jackson State University has lost the face of its women’s basketball program.

Tomekia Reed was announced as the new head women’s basketball coach at Charlotte on Thursday afternoon. Her departure ends one of the most historic runs in the sport in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with five consecutive regular season titles and three tournament titles.

Reed’s contract was up at the end of this season and she was discussing with the University the possibility of a new contract.

“I want to thank Tomekia for what she has done for Jackson State women’s basketball,” VP/Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson said. “The work she did during her time here at Jackson State is unmatched and we wish her nothing but the best at Charlotte.”

In the last five seasons, Jackson State’s conference-winning percentage was among the highest in the country, per Tolly Carr from HBCU Gameday. JSU won an outstanding 95.4 percent of its conference games. That level of winning places Jackson State among the elite programs in the country, like UConn and South Carolina. Those winning percentages are listed below.

1. UConn — 96.5%
T-2. South Carolina — 96.3%
T-2. FGCU — 96.3%
4. Jackson State — 95.4%
5. Gonzaga — 95.3% (190 kB)

Reed was a four-time SWAC Coach of the Year during her time at JSU. She will be the ninth head coach in Charlotte women’s basketball history. Last year’s 49ers team finished 16-15 overall and 9-9 overall in the American Athletic Conference.

During her time at Jackson State, Tomekia Reed had two players drafted in the WNBA, Ameshya Williams-Holliday was selected by the Indiana Fever in 2022. Angel Jackson was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in this year’s draft.

Jackson State will begin a national search immediately for her replacement.