PEMBROKE — As UNC Pembroke looked to replace retiring women’s basketball head coach John Haskins, finding a qualified candidate who also provided a level of continuity in the program was simply the perfect combination for the Lady Braves.

In Kendra Samuels-Eaton, the school found that individual.

Samuels-Eaton was named the program’s 10th head coach Monday as the university held a press conference to announce her arrival. The former assistant under Haskins has been the associate head coach at Western Carolina since 2021.

“Coming (to UNCP) back in 2017, I understood what the family atmosphere here, I enjoy the diverse family atmosphere here, not only on campus but in Pembroke, North Carolina,” Samuels-Eaton said. “They’ve been doing well, as well as some of the young ladies that are here I helped recruit, and so why not come back to a great school and a great university.”

Samuels-Eaton, a 36-year-old first-time head coach, was an assistant under Haskins from 2017-21, serving as associate head coach for the last three years of her tenure.

“We weren’t in a situation that we were trying to start over or blowing up the roster or anything like that, so bringing in somebody that knows the systems we’ve run before and knows the type of kids that usually say yes to UNCP in the recruiting process, I think it’s invaluable,” UNCP athletic director Dick Christy told The Robesonian. “The fact that she and John have continued to have a close relationship, it just makes it that much more of a seamless transition that she was willing to take over as he rides off into the sunset.”

Having worked four seasons under Haskins, Samuels-Eaton knows she’ll have big shoes to fill replacing a coach who remains a large figure in the Braves community.

“Since day one I got here in 2017, you’ve been open arms to me and shown me what family is,” Samuels-Eaton said to Haskins during the press conference. “I definitely appreciate you; thank you for your confidence in me, and hopefully I can live up to your big shoe.”

Haskins, who retired after 20 seasons leading the Lady Braves program and 35 years as a coach at the university, is pleased to see the continuity that Samuels-Eaton will bring to the program.

“I’m just super excited, for Kendra for the opportunity, and for our team. She’s a really good basketball coach, but even a better person, and they’re in great hands,” Haskins said. “With the transfer portal and everything, I just think this lends some continuity to the program, which will help with player retention obviously. I think that’s big nowadays, and keeping your good players, and I feel like we’ll be able to do that. We’ve got a couple commitments, we’ve got a couple kids signed, and obviously there needs to be a couple more pieces to the puzzle, but I think moving forward, they’ll be very, very competitive.”

While new head coaches often take over programs making a change because of recent struggles, Samuels-Eaton will instead look to continue the Lady Braves’ recent success after back-to-back Conference Carolinas Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.

“It’s a great reward, but there’s still work to do,” Samuels-Eaton said. “The last few year’s, we’ve been getting out in the first round of the NCAAs, so my job and my goal is to win a couple games in the NCAA (Tournament). You can always get better, so hopefully I can get us there.”

While Samuels-Eaton has not been directly involved in the Braves program for the last three years, she coach rising seniors Kelci Adams and Hannah Russell for one season in 2020-21 and was part of the recruitment of Zaria Clark. She also helped bring outgoing seniors Aniah McManus, Courtney Smith and Alcenia Purnell, who arrived in 2019, into the Braves program.

“It’s awesome, because she did recruit me so it’s an easy transfer over for her to become coach,” Adams said. “I also like the comfortability; I know her, I know how she coaches, and I’m excited that she’s head coach, and I’m really excited for my final year. To be under her, that’ll be great.”

The hiring of Samuels-Eaton was announced on the same day that the NCAA’s transfer portal for basketball opens for the offseason. Having a coach in place quickly after the on-court end to the 2023-24 season, which came just last Friday, was a plus for the Braves program.

“(Timing) was definitely important,” Samuels-Eaton said. “The new culture of sports is the transfer portal, so just getting in there trying to target those individual student-athletes that can help us continue to be successful and keep us on that path of winning championships.”

Samuels-Eaton told The Robesonian she intends to retain associate head coach Donald Bohannon as part of her coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.

“Coach Donald and I talk weekly,” Samuels-Eaton said. “He’s one of my great friends, and we’ve talked about him coming back next year, so we’re looking forward to continuing to build this train and I just am so happy that I have a friend in this business that would be here and that I can trust and help me continue to keep this thing rolling.”

In addition to Haskins, Samuels-Eaton has been around other strong leaders throughout her basketball career, playing under current Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper at Western Carolina and working under legendary ACC administrator Nora Lynn Finch in the league office.

“Everywhere she’s been, she’s tried to learn a new piece and get better and better and better,” Christy said. “The Kendra Samuels-Eaton we’re getting today is a different coach than the one that left here three years ago, and I just think she’s ready.”

In addition to her stints on the coaching staffs at Western Carolina and UNCP, Samuels-Eaton also has previous experience as an assistant coach at North Carolina Central and in support roles at Wake Forest, Western Carolina and the ACC.

The Winston-Salem native compiled over 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds during her playing career at Mount Tabor High School before trekking west to Cullowhee for her collegiate playing career. She earned a master’s degree in physical education and sport science from Central Missouri in 2011 and is scheduled to complete her doctorate in global sport leadership from East Tennessee State University this May.