Trelanne Powell enters her fifth season at Tuskegee University, after being named as the head women’s basketball coach on June 20, 2018. She was also named the Senior Women’s Administrator in October of 2020.
Most recently, Powell coached the 2022 SIAC Player of the Year in Ashiala Jackson, along with the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year in JuToreyia Willis after both were named preseason winners of the awards. Jackson also earned D2CCA All-South Region Second Team honors during the year.
The 2021-22 team finished the season with a 22-5 record and 15-3 record in the SIAC, the most wins in both categories during the Powell era, winning the Western Division Regular Season title. The Golden Tigers also held a 12-2 record at the Chappie James Center and a 9-2 record on the road. As a top seed in the SIAC Championship Tournament, Tuskegee defeated Kentucky State in the quarterfinals 84-59 before falling to Benedict in the semifinals 73-81.
During the 2019-2020 season, Powell led the Tigerettes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, compiling a 12-1 league record in 2021 to earn the SIAC's automatic bid during the abbreviated COVID-19 season. Tuskegee ended the 2020-21 campaign ranked #16 in the WBCA while earning a #5 seed in the NCAA Division II Tournament, where it fell to #4-seeded Tusculum in the Opening Round, 77-64. Both Powell and leading scorer Ashiala Jackson earned Black College Sports Network (BCSN) honors as Powell won Coach of the Year, while Jackson earned Player of the Year.
During her time at the helm, Powell has led Tuskegee to four consecutive winning seasons and double-digit victories in conference play in all four years. Her first season in charge saw the Tigerettes' best record in 19 years, finishing with a 20-6 overall mark during the 2018-19 campaign, the program's first 20-win season since 2000. Tuskegee also advanced to the semi-finals of the conference tournament and ended the year with a 13-3 league record.
Powell came to Tuskegee after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Mercer University, where she helped lead the team to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Regular Season and Tournament crowns posting a (24-9, 12-2) record. She also apart of assisting the Bears win the 2016-17 and 2015-16 Regular Season Championships, earning WNIT berths both years, boasting defensive rankings of first in the SoCon in points allowed and steals per game.
Before her time at Mercer, she was the head assistant coach at Francis Marion University, a Division II school in Florence, South Carolina. While at Francis Marion, Powell's duties included player development, recruiting, serving as an academic liaison, film coordination and public relations.
Prior to her time at Francis Marion, Powell spent three years as the head coach at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Ala., where she was named the 2013-14 ACCC Southern Conference Coach of the Year. She guided the Chattahoochee Valley to a 2014 ACCC Southern Conference Championship after a second place finish in 2013 and a third place finish in 2012. Additionally, she recruited and guided the development of 2014 ACCC Southern Conference Player of the Year, Braxtyn Talton.
From 2009-2011, she served as an assistant coach at Chattahoochee Valley, helping CVCC claim the ACCC Southern Conference regular season title in 2011 after a fourth place finish in 2010. She also recruited Shan Basley, the 2011 NJCAA Honorable Mention/Southern Conference Player of the Year.
A Macon native, Powell played collegiately at Hiawasee Community College from 2000-2002 and Columbus State from 2002-2004. She also played at the professional and semi-professional levels for four seasons. Additionally, Moore was a graduate assistant coach at Columbus State for the 2007-2008 season, helping the Cougars to a 17-12 record.
