Winston State University hired Hall of Famer and alumnus Corey Thompson as the new men’s basketball head coach. The Winston-Salem State University Department of Athletics made the announcement last week.

“I consider it a privilege to hire the first WSSU Men’s Basketball Alum to lead our Rams Men’s Basketball team,” said Director of Athletics, Etienne Thomas. “Corey Thompson brings a complete body of work with him from his lived experiences as a student-athlete, assistant coach, head coach, husband, father, educator, and Hall of Fame Champion, and I look forward to his leadership and partnership as we continue to protect the legacy.”

Thompson is a four-year letterman who earned two consecutive CIAA titles with the Rams under the illustrious Rickey Duckett. He also made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA from 1998 to 2002 and was named Most Improved Player in 1999. In 2012, Thompson and his group were admitted into the C.E. “Big House” Gaines Hall of Fame.

He spent eight seasons as the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at St. Paul High School, where he led the team to four consecutive championships. Thompson also served as the Associate Men’s Basketball Coach at Fayetteville State University from 2011 to 2016. Prior to that, he was the Associate Head Men’s Basketball for five years at the University of North Carolina Pembroke. He also volunteered as an assistant coach at Winston-Salem during the 2004–05 season.

Thompson graduated from Winston-Salem in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation. He went to earn his master’s in Parks and Recreation Management from Slippery Rock in 2004, where he started his career as a graduate assistant coach from 2002–2004. Thompson brings a variety of expertise and experience to the position.

“Returning home to WSSU fills me with great pride and honor,” said Thompson. “I am dedicated to upholding and protecting the legacy built by the incredible teams of the past and present. Having once walked the same paths as the young men I now have the privilege to lead, I am committed to motivating and supporting them just as I was supported over twenty-two years ago. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with the administration, students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community. Dreams do come true! Ramily, Let’s Go!”