DAYTONA BEACH — Demetria Frank warned the crowd.
“You guys are going to have to forgive me,” the new Bethune-Cookman women’s basketball coach said to begin her introductory press conference April 16. “At some point, I’m going to get emotional, OK?”
The gathered administrators, players, coaches, alumni and other boosters encouraged her.
“It’s OK.”
“Be you.”
“You deserve it.”
And lastly, “you’re home.”
Bethune-Cookman hired Frank as the program’s eighth leader on April 1. She’s a familiar name, having played for the Wildcats from 2007 to 2012, so the emotion makes obvious sense. She still holds the team’s career records for made free throws and steals.
After her playing days ended, she became a coach at B-CU under Vanessa Blair-Lewis for four seasons. Frank followed Blair-Lewis to George Mason in 2021 and spent the last five years there.
“I arrived on this campus at 17 years old, and I could’ve never imagined standing here today nearly 20 years later,” Frank said. “You could’ve never told me this would happen. This is the true reflection of God’s hand all over my life.”
Then, she repeated the sentiment of the day.
“I’m home.”
Following the dismissal of previous coach Janell Crayton Del Rosario on March 14, Frank emerged from a pool of more than 200 applicants, vice president for athletics Reggie Theus said.
Deputy director of athletics George Bright and senior associate athletic director for administration Scott Sommer served as the initial vetters. Theus then entered the search, and university president Albert Mosley talked with the finalists, too.
Theus wanted someone with passion and a winning track record.
“What pushed her over the top when we got down to the last four or five,” Theus said, “I’m a firm believer in the natural process of being a player, being a coach, winning in both areas, going away, building your resume and then coming back to your university, the university that you love, the program that you love, and being the head coach because it is more than just a job for that person.”
Theus said it wasn’t a requirement to be a Bethune-Cookman alum.
“But as it goes, when that person shows up, I really listen,” he said. “I really watch. That’s something that resonates with me.
“But don’t get me wrong, the last three people that we had, they were all high-level coaches, all capable of doing this job. Just the former player thing is what did it for me, especially being successful at every stop.”
Frank had one winning campaign as a player. After she joined B-CU as an assistant coach, the Wildcats tallied three seasons with at least 21 victories. They also captured their first MEAC Tournament title and made their first NCAA Tournament in 2019.
In five seasons at George Mason, Frank was a part of similar success. The Patriots won no fewer than 23 games each of the last three seasons and cracked the NCAA Tournament field for the first time in 2025.
Frank said leaving Blair-Lewis was the most difficult part of her decision to return to Daytona Beach.
“But I knew that it was something I wanted to pursue,” she said. “I felt called to do that.”
Frank said Blair-Lewis supported her throughout the process. The biggest thing she took from the veteran coach: her people skills.
“You have to prioritize people and relationships,” Frank said. “It’s tough in this landscape when it has become so transactional. But that’s the core of who I am and who I’m going to be. Prioritizing people is what I value the most.”
Frank had to employ those values right away.
Her first steps after accepting the job included building her staff and dipping into the transfer portal. The portal opened on April 6, five days after her hiring was announced.
“(The transfer portal) is the biggest piece right now, trying to get our roster filled,” Frank said of her recruiting philosophy. “(Junior college) is going to be a huge part of what we do. High school kids as well. We’ll have that base, that foundation. I would love a couple kids every year that could matriculate through this program and understand the pride, just as I did when I played here.”
Frank emphasizes six pillars: integrity, connection, passion, servanthood, gratitude and faith. She wants to lean on defense “because defense travels,” and promised her squads will play fast, smart and disciplined.
It’ll be a rebuilding project. The Wildcats haven’t posted a record above .500 since 2019-20, Blair-Lewis’ last season in charge and Frank’s last season on the staff.
They went 7-26 last winter.
But in modern college basketball, tides can turn quickly.
“I think she’s going to really galvanize our alumni base,” Theus said. “I think she’s going to promote, and her presence here from her past is going to be a big part of bringing more people and more people involved.
“She is set up to be successful right now. The things that are going on and the things that are happening, she’s walking into a very, very good situation.”
Frank has been go, go, go since returning to her alma mater. She hasn’t had time to truly reflect on her journey, but her gratitude is evident. Theus has noticed the same thing.
“I get filled up every time I talk about it,” Frank said. “I think, now that the press conference is over, I’ll have that moment to just kind of go sit by the beach or just enjoy being here again. I’m excited for that.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet new Bethune-Cookman women’s basketball head coach Demetria Frank
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
