Akia Stanton begins her first season leading the Talladega program in 2022.
Stanton comes to the Tornadoes from South Carolina State University where she spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the the bench with the Lady Bulldogs. She was an assistant coach in 2020, and was promoted to the role of Associate Head Coach in 2021.
Prior to SCSU, Stanton was the head coach at Allen Universityb where she began her stint in July 2018. Her team at Allen went from 16-15 to 22-8 in her final season; the single most wins in one season at Allen University. The feat was made all the more impressive as the AU team featured 12 first-time freshmen.
Stanton got her first Head Coaching position at Jarvis Christian College. During her four years as the Head Coach, her team had the highest team GPA (3.5) in the athletic department. She had athletes who earned all-conference and all-academic honors.
Stanton got her start in coaching as an assistant volleyball and basketball coach at Paine College. While serving as the assistant, she helped revive the women’s basketball program by recruiting Freshman of the Year, New Comer of the Year, and Regional Player of the year. As the recruiting coordinator, the program doubled its wins each season during her tenure.
A native of Milledgeville, Georgia, she was a three-sport athlete and is the only athlete in Baldwin High’s history to win the Region two years in a row in three different sports.
Coach Stanton continued her career at Paine College, where she played volleyball and basketball. Serving as captain or co-captain of each team, she helps lead the lady lions to two consecutive SIAC basketball championships.
Stanton is a proud mom to 13-year-old Laila Stanton.
