BOONE, N.C. — Alaura Sharp, who led Presbyterian College to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and win last month, has been named the new head women's basketball history at Appalachian State.
Sharp spent six season in Clinton and after winning just seven games in her first year, the Fredonia, Kansas native would show steady progress at the smallest school in Division One. Her 2020-21 team posted the program's first winning record (11-10) in five years, while her 2022-23 squad captured its best league finish (tied for fourth) in seven years.
But the 2023-2024 campaign saw the Blue Hose make history by winning its first ever Big South Tournament championship and that led to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Not satisfied with that significant feat, Sharpe guided PC to its first win ever in the NCAA Tournament, a 49-42 victory over Sacred Heart in the First Four. That victory was the 21st win of the season for PC, a new record for the program in the Division I ranks.
Before coming to Presbyterian College, Sharp was an assistant for two years each at Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss, where she helped her teams earn a postseason bid all four seasons. She was also a head coach at the junior college level at Garden City (Kan.) Community College and Lamar (Colo.) Community College.