Tyra Perry Illinois softball coach reflects on 700 career wins, Big Ten diversity and the people who make coaching worth every moment in an MSR interview.
Big Ten
Posted inAnother View
Gopher assistant coach has head coaching in his sights
Brothers Dennis and Armon Gates faced each other as coaches when Missouri hosted Minnesota, marking a rare family moment shaped by shared roots, hard work, and basketball ambition.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Black tennis coaches celebrate their historic matchup
Minnesota and Illinois in women’s tennis have met 32 times since 1991, and the 33rd meeting was the first time ever that both schools’ squads were coached by Black women, Lois Arterberry and Gabrielle Moore, who once were college teammates at Southern University.
Posted inAnother View
Gophers and fans celebrate WBIT Women’s Championship win
The Minnesota Gophers defeated Belmont 75-63 in the WBIT Women’s Championship, with Tori McKinney being named Tournament MVP after scoring a career-high 26 points.
Posted inAnother View
Any chance for another Black head coach in Gopherland?
The University of Minnesota Gophers’ next men’s basketball coach will likely not be Black, as the self-appointed search committee has only suggested white candidates, despite the fact that there are 16 current Black head coaches and 20 Black assistant coaches on the Advancement of Blacks in Sports watchlist.
Posted inGophers/College
Minnesota Gophers Pursue Top In-State Recruit Roman Voss with Unified Coaching Effort
The University of Minnesota’s entire offensive coaching staff recently visited Roman Voss, the top-ranked high school football player in Minnesota’s class of 2026, to show their commitment to recruiting him, as he has been climbing national recruiting rankings and has offers from Wisconsin, Kansas State, and Iowa.
Posted inSports
Seasoned volleyball player weighs career options
The University of Minnesota has added four new Black volleyball players to its squad, bringing the total number of Black players to 40, and Phoebe Awoleye.
Posted inSports
Black college volleyball competes at national level
Howard University’s volleyball team, led by Coach Shaun Kupferberg, has become one of the top teams in the MEAC conference.
Posted inSports
NIL becomes college sports’ free agency
The new era of NIL and free agency is transforming college sports, with coaches adjusting to the changing landscape.
Posted inSports
Gopher women’s tennis coach happy with her first season
Head Coach Lois Arterberry led the Minnesota women’s tennis team to an impressive 11-13 overall record and a ninth seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Posted inSports
Big Ten tourney wrapup
Kierra Wheeler and her Norfolk State team virtually swept the MEAC season awards.
Posted inSports
Youth clinics offer inspiration and role models
Minnesota Sports and Events and ACES hosted two Practice With A Purpose basketball clinics, bringing together local youth and Gopher alums.
Posted inSports
Purdue triumphs over Northwestern in exciting Big Ten WBB tournament opener
Purdue and Minnesota both won their opening games at the 2024 Big Ten WBB tournament in Minneapolis, with Purdue outscoring Northwestern 43-33 in the second half and Minnesota outlasting Rutgers 77-69.
Posted inSports
March Madness: Downtown Mpls becomes Big Ten central
Six Minnesota-born Black players are participating in the first-ever sellout Big Ten WBB postseason tournament in downtown Minneapolis.
Posted inSports
Former Gopher returns to help players navigate NIL landscape
Kiera Buford, a St. Paul Central and Minnesota grad, was hired as the U of M director of alumni relations/NIL to help Gopher players navigate the complex world of NIL contracts and collective earnings.
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
The Cook era begins in Gopher volleyball
Minnesota volleyball has been around since 1972, and we have been covering it regularly since 1987.
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
More sistas represent in Big Ten softball
This week’s Gopher 100 features softball players Breezy Burnett and Amani Bradley.
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
For Gopher men’s hoops, ‘the sky is not falling’
‘The criticism naturally comes with the territory of coaching in college or professional sports.’
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
Gopher hoops in crisis
‘You have to have patience with the coaches, because there’s just a lot to it.’
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
Big Ten offers opportunities for qualified Black coaches
“There are a lot of great minority coaches that can coach if given the opportunity.”