HBCU championship coach finds new program

HBCU women’s basketball is gaining another veteran leader. Virginia Union University has named Alico Dunk as the 10th head coach in the history of its program. Dunk, a longtime presence in HBCU athletics, replaces Tierra Terry, who took the Winston-Salem State job in April.

The university will introduce Dunk at a press conference on Friday, June 13, at 12:00 p.m. The event will be held at Barco-Stevens Hall on Virginia Union’s campus in Richmond, Virginia.

Dunk brings more than 20 years of coaching experience at HBCUs. He most recently spent eight seasons as the head coach at Stillman College. In 2025, he led the Lady Tigers to a 26-6 record, the best in school history. That season included an HBCU Athletic Conference regular-season title and the school’s first win in the NAIA National Tournament. Dunk won 112 games at Stillman—more than any women’s coach there in the past 40 years.

Before that, he coached the women’s team at Elizabeth City State University. Over five seasons, he led the Lady Vikings to an 83-56 record. They won two CIAA Northern Division titles during his tenure. In 2013, he was named CIAA Coach of the Year after a 24-4 season and a 15-1 mark in league play.

Dunk also coached the ECSU men’s team and served as an assistant during their 2007 CIAA Championship run.

A native of Ayden, North Carolina, Dunk was a standout in football and basketball at Ayden-Grifton High School. He began his college career at Tennessee, then transferred to East Carolina University. He was a two-year captain at ECU and earned a degree in Exercise and Sports Science in 1999.

After graduation, he taught and coached high school basketball before playing professionally in Asia. He later earned a master’s degree in Sports Management from Virginia State University.

[/Dunk’s return to the CIAA adds another seasoned voice to HBCU women’s basketball.

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