UAPB Women’s Head Basketball Coach Erica Leak Adds Three Veterans to Staff

PINE BLUFF, AR. – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball head coach Erica Leak announced the addition of three veteran coaches to her staff.

Freddie Murray, who has a 20-plus-year career in coaching college basketball, brings a resume to the UAPB office that indicates success at various game levels. 

Leak expressed her excitement about the addition, saying, “On behalf of the entire UAPB women’s basketball program, I am thrilled to welcome Freddie Murray to our coaching staff. Murray’s expertise and passion for the game will undoubtedly take our team to new heights. We are excited to have him join our Golden Lions family and look forward to his incredible impact on our players both on and off the court.”

Murray joins the Golden Lions after serving as an assistant coach at Alabama A&M for one year.

Before his arrival in Huntsville, Murray spent eight transformative seasons at Grambling State University, where he recently held the position of head coach for the Tigers. His unwavering commitment to excellence resulted in his teams consistently finishing in the top five in defense within the conference on five separate occasions.

Under Murray’s leadership, Grambling State experienced unforgettable triumphs. In 2018, he steered the Tigers to an extraordinary Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) tournament championship, propelling them to the NCAA Tournament where they valiantly faced No. 2 Baylor. The previous year, Murray guided the program to a share of the SWAC regular season title, a feat not accomplished since 2000. During the same year, the Tigers made history by securing the SWAC’s first-ever postseason tournament victory, triumphing over Ole Miss in a gripping 78-75 win in the WNIT.

Adding to the team’s accolades, Grambling State emerged victorious against formidable opponents, Indiana and Loyola Marymount, during the Puerto Rico Classic. This remarkable season also witnessed the spotlight shining on the team when Shakyla Hill achieved the extraordinary milestone of recording a quadruple-double, becoming only the fourth NCAA Division I women’s basketball player to achieve such an incredible feat. Hill’s extraordinary career, which included winning SWAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, garnered attention from basketball legend LeBron James himself. Other notable players coached by Murray include Monisha Neal, Justice Coleman, and Alexus Holt, all of whom left an indelible mark on the court and achieved impressive individual accomplishments.

Murray’s coaching journey extends beyond Grambling State. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Florida A&M University, contributing to their best record in 2010, finishing the season with an impressive 22-8. During his tenure, Murray nurtured players like Antonia Bennett and Jasmine Grice, who both earned MEAC Player of the Year honors and went on to achieve successful professional careers overseas.

Prior to his time at Florida A&M, Murray held the position of assistant coach at North Carolina A&T State University on two occasions, from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2007 to 2010. His return to North Carolina A&T yielded tremendous success, with the Lady Aggies securing three MEAC Regular Season Championships and making appearances in the NCAA and WNIT Tournaments. During the 2009-10 season, Murray’s coaching prowess propelled the team to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen, a historic achievement for an HBCU women’s team. Notably, the Lady Aggies broke their school record for most wins in a season in 2008-09, with 26 victories. Murray’s coaching acumen fostered the growth of exceptional talents such as Ta’Wuana Cook, Lamona Smalley, and Brittanie Taylor-James, who earned accolades for their outstanding performances.

Before his time at North Carolina A&T, Murray left his mark as an assistant coach at McNeese State University, where he later assumed the role of interim head coach midway through the 2006-2007 season. His dedication and expertise were evident as he contributed to the team’s progress and success.

Murray’s coaching journey began at his alma mater, Jackson State University, where he first served as a volunteer assistant with the men’s program in 1999. He later transitioned to graduate assistant coach from 2001 to 2003, guiding the Lady Tigers to a remarkable Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season title in 2003 and a notable 23-win season. During this time, Murray’s guidance propelled Amie Williams to become the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference player while helping Shelita Burns with back-to-back SWAC Player of the Year honors in both her junior and senior seasons.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Murray holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Jackson State University.

Xavier Johnson will serve as the program’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Coach Johnson to Golden Lions Nation,” Leak said. “He will bring an incredible amount of experience both on and off the court to our program. Xavier is an elite-level recruiter and teacher. Our student-athletes are going to thrive under his leadership. He brings great experience and knowledge of the women’s basketball circuit landscape to help continue our vision of the good direction our program is going.”

Johnson has over 10 years of coaching experience, following an 11-year tenure with Greg McCall at California State Bakersfield. In 2023, he was selected to participate in the inaugural WBCA Next Generation Institute, a new advanced education program for experienced assistant coaches aspiring to become head coaches at NCAA Division I, II, and III levels.

Johnson’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi from 2001 to 2003, where he assisted with practice, film breakdown, exchange, and recruitment for the men’s program under former Naismith Coach of the Year and current California State Bakersfield head coach Rod Barnes.

He started as an assistant coach during the 2013-14 season and was later promoted to associate head coach before the 2014-15 season.

Johnson has a strong focus on recruiting and player development. Over an 11-year period, he was responsible for recruiting 32 athletes, with players achieving several accolades within the WAC and Big West Conference. A native of Biloxi, MS, Johnson graduated from William Penn University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Administration. He played for two seasons for the Statesmen. He has three children: Madison, Caiden, and Aria.

Roderick “Rodd” Woods rounds out Leak’s staff for the 2024-25 season as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“We are so excited to announce coach Woods as the final piece to our staff,” said Leak. “Woods is a competitor, a strong recruiter, and passionate coach whose experiences will serve him well here at UAPB. A connector by nature, who is experienced in leadership development and team development, embodies our ‘six C’s, (Character, Commitment, Confident, Class, Courage Culture)’ mentality and will be an asset to our program.”

Woods joins the pride after serving eight months as the interim head coach at Florida Memorial University. Woods brings over 22 years of experience in women’s basketball coaching at every level, from high school and junior college to NCAA Division I & II.

Woods spent the 2022-2023 season in Miami Shores at Barry University, where they had an overall 15-15 record and an appearance in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. In his short stint at Barry, Woods was responsible for post-player development, which led to first-year player K’Nari Holliday earning freshman of the year honors.

Prior to Barry University, Woods spent one season at East Mississippi CC, where he helped lead the Lions to a 12-13 campaign under head coach Sharon Thompson.

During his three years before East Mississippi, Woods served as an assistant coach on Ashley Walker-Johnson’s staff at Mississippi Valley State University of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Before that, Woods served in the same capacity for three years at South Carolina State University of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where he helped coach two all-conference players. Woods was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, budgeting, and community outreach at both schools, overseeing individual player skill development, scouting preparation for opposing teams, and serving as the director of team and individual summer camps.

Woods spent 12 years as the head coach at Clinton College in Rock Hill, SC. He also served much of that tenure as the college’s athletics director. Having eclipsed the 208 career wins, Woods guided the Golden Bears to five Region 10 runner-up finishes and coached three NJCAA Region 10 Players of the Year. His players excelled in the classroom, with six student-athletes named valedictorians of their graduating classes at Clinton.

Throughout his previous coaching stint in the junior college ranks, Woods also served as a tournament director for the NJCAA Region 10 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments played in Fort Mill, S.C. During the summer months, and he previously served as an associate director at the Nike girls’ basketball camps held annually in Amherst, Mass.

Woods’ basketball coaching career began at his alma mater as a volunteer assistant men’s basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University during the 1996-97 season. He also spent the 1999-2000 campaign as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Lamar (S.C.) High School.

Woods played college basketball at Eastern Kentucky University during the 1994-1996 seasons. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Richmond, Kentucky.

A native of Florence, S.C., Woods began his college athletic and academic careers in his home state at Spartanburg Methodist College. After teaming up as a freshman with two-time NJCAA Division I All-American and former NBA player James Scott to help lead SMC to the 1993 NJCAA National Tournament, Woods earned first-team All-Region 10 honors as a sophomore for the Pioneers.

Woods earned his master’s degree in sports administration from the American Public University in Charles Town, West Virginia.  He has three children: daughters Oriona, 23, and Kaelyn, 13, and son Kaiden, 15.