Charlene Curtis, the ACC’s first Black women’s head basketball coach, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, according to the conference. She was 67 years old.
Curtis was Wake Forest’s head coach from 1997 to 2004, following stops at Radford and Temple, where she was the first African-American head women’s basketball coach.
Curtis played basketball at Radford shortly after Title IX was passed in 1972, becoming the school’s first 1,000-point scorer, male or female, and inductee into its Hall of Fame. She majored in music and played basketball for the Radford women’s basketball team, which did not offer scholarships at the time.
Curtis retired in 2019 after 11 years as the ACC league office’s supervisor of officials for women’s basketball. Curtis also worked as the coordinator of women’s basketball officials for the Southern Conference, the Big South, and the Colonial Athletic Association during her time at the ACC.
“Charlene was a pioneer in the sport of women’s basketball, but more importantly, she was an amazing individual,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “Her kindness and class resonated throughout her life, and she will be missed by all who were fortunate to know her and her inspiring spirit.”
Curtis is survived by Sharolyn Grant, her partner of 24 years, and her sister and brother-in-law Millicent and Byrl Wright.
