Shameka (Russell) Thomas returns for her second stint at Central Arkansas. A member of head coach Sandra Rushing's first staff at Central Arkansas in 2012-13, Thomas comes back to Conway after returning to her alma mater of Delta State for the past four seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
"I'm so happy that Shameka has decided to rejoin our program," Rushing said. "I have had the opportunity to coach and work with Shameka, she knows my philosophy and what I expect. She knows how to win, and has a tremendous work ethic and passion for the game. Shameka will do whatever it takes to help us continue our success. She is a great person and will be a great role model for our players. She is a great addition to our program, and will play a very valuable role in serving as our recruiting coordinator."
Going back to her first stint at Central Arkansas in 2012-13, Thomas has coached three conference Player of the Year winners, including Megan Herbert in 2013 at Central Arkansas; and Seneca Walton in 2014 and current Sugar Bear assistant Chelsey Rhodes in 2016 at Delta State. Under Thomas' guidance, the Lady Statesmen went to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, winning the Gulf South Conference tournament in 2016 and the GSC regular season championship in 2014. In both of those seasons, DSU led the nation in Division II in scoring defense.
During Thomas' time at DSU, every Lady Statesman who completed their eligibility went on to earn their degree. Thomas herself has three, having gotten a Bachelor of Science in Social Justice & Criminology from DSU in 2011 and a Master of Science in Sports Administration & Human Performance the following year before completing her Educational Specialist in Administration & Supervision in 2016.
