After a historic season, Dawn Thornton has added an experienced FBS assistant to her Alabama A&M coaching staff. Experienced assistant Paul Reed, who has coached at Cal, Washington, and Long Beach State, is joining the Bulldogs as an associate head coach per an announcement by the athletic department.

“We are thrilled to welcome Paul Reed as our Associate Head Coach,” Thornton said. “Paul brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of developing talent and building winning programs. His dedication to fostering strong relationships with players and his commitment to excellence on and off the court make him an invaluable addition to our team.”

Reed earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Langston University (Okla.) in 1995, where he was a two-year letterwinner in football and a USA Today Small College All-American as a defensive back. He later completed a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. Soon after, he began his journey in basketball.

Reed founded and directed the Lady Badger Basketball Camp and contributed to the USC Elite Camp. He was also involved in offseason player development for high school athletes in the Tucson area and worked with members of the University of Arizona basketball team. He also has extensive experience and success as a women's high school basketball coach.

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Reed, who took a year away from collegiate basketball, most recently worked at St. Mary's during the 2023-24 season, serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at both Cal and Washington. While at Washington, Reed played a key role in rebuilding the Huskies' program. His efforts helped the team reach the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals last season, highlighted by a 68-54 upset over No. 6-seed Colorado.

During his tenure, Reed oversaw the development of three All-Pac-12 players and guided 11 student-athletes to earn Pac-12 All-Academic Team honors. Before joining Washington, Reed spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Long Beach State, where he helped the team compile an impressive 69-30 overall record. His tenure included three consecutive 20-win seasons, a Big West Conference Tournament championship in 2017, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The team also made back-to-back WNIT appearances in the two seasons prior.

Reed joins Alabama A&M after a red-hot season. The Lady Bulldogs wrapped up the 2024-25 season in third place in the SWAC regular season standings, securing the No. 3 seed for the SWAC tournament. Unfortunately, their tournament run ended in the quarterfinals with a close 56-53 loss to Alcorn State. Despite the setback, the team earned a spot in the WNIT tournament, beginning with an opening-round game against Chattanooga.