Tim Valentine is in his seventh season as an assistant coach with the Hampton University women’s basketball program, having joined head coach David Six’s staff after spending two seasons as Georgetown. Valentine is primarily responsible for player development, practice plans, WNBA liaison and FIBA liaison.
He is also in his sixth year as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
The 2019-20 season saw the Lady Pirates finish tied for third in the league with a 14-6 record and an 18-11 overall mark. Ashley Bates repeated as Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 100 steals. Three Lady Pirates earned All-Conference recognition as Laren VanArsdale was a first team selection, Bates earned second team honors, while Nylah Young was selected to the All-Rookie team. Two Lady Pirates earned BoxToRow All-American honors as Bates was a first-team selection and VanArsdale was a second-team honoree.
In their first season of Big South Conference action in 2018-19, the Lady Pirates finished 16-14 and 12-6 in conference play. Ashley Bates became the first Big South Conference player to earn Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in scoring (17.4 ppg) and set a conference record with 125 steals. She was also a first-team All-American selection by BoxToRow. Laren VanArsdale was honored as the Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.7 points and just under three assists per game.
The 2017-18 season saw Hampton advance to the finals of the MEAC Tournament finishing 18-14 overall and 12-4 in conference play. Monnazjea Finney-Smith was a second team All-MEAC selection and Jephany Brown earned a third team selection. Mikayla Sayle and Ashley Bates were All-MEAC Tournament honorees.
In the 2016-17 season, two Lady Pirates earned MEAC post-season honors as Kaylah Lupoe was a second team selection and Ashley Bates earned All-Rookie honors. Hampton closed the year with six straight wins to capture the 2017 MEAC Tournament title as Jephany Brown was Tournament MVP and Monnazjea Finney-Smith was named All-Tournament team.
In Valentine’s second season, guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas earned MEAC Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, while forward Kaylah Lupoe was a Third Team All-MEAC selection and guard K’lynn Willis was named to the All-Rookie Team.
In addition, Tate-DeFreitas was named First Team All-State by both the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID), and she was also named BoxToRow’s National HBCU Player of the Year.
After his first year at Hampton, Valentine was named Non-BCS Assistant Coach of the Year for the MEAC by Kelly Kallina. During his first season, Tate-DeFreitas was named MEAC Player of the Year, junior guard Ryan Jordan was named Third Team All-MEAC, and Lupoe emerged late in the season as a double-double waiting to happen in the post.
In addition, Tate-DeFreitas was named VaSID First Team All-State and Third Team All-ECAC.
The Lady Pirates won 19 games in Valentine’s first season, winning their fifth straight MEAC regular-season title and advancing to the second round of the WNIT after beating Drexel in the first round.
That win was Hampton’s first postseason victory at the Div. I level.
While at Georgetown, Valentine worked on player development, game preparation, and he worked with the sports performance staff. This past season, he helped coach Natalie Butler, who was unanimously named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. Butler was also a Second Team All-Conference selection, along with Andrea White.
Butler and Faith Woodard were each named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
In Valentine’s first season with the Hoyas, Georgetown won 15 games and Sugar Rodgers was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection, marking the fourth straight season in which she had earned those honors. Rogers was drafted by the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, which won the 2013-14 championship, and she currently plays on the New York Liberty.
During Valentine’s tenure, Georgetown recruiting the No. 9 recruiting class in the nation according to Blue Chip and Hoopgurlz. Shyla Cooper was part of that class as the highest-ranking recruit in Georgetown history, and she was the BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year.
Prior to Georgetown, Valentine spent a season as an assistant coach at Elon University, helping guide the team to 16 wins and a 12-8 mark in the Southern Conference. During that season, Elon placed two players on the all-conference squad (Ali Ford and Kelsey Evans) and had five all-academic honorees.
Before his time at Elon, Valentine was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Div. II St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C. In his one season with that program, Valentine helped the Falcons win 19 games, including a 12-6 record in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
Valentine coached CIAA Player of the Year Allison Sikes while at St. Augustine’s, as well as CIAA Rookie of the Year Umeka Benson. Both players also earned CIAA All-Tournament honors, while Sikes also racked up all-region and all-state honors – in addition to being named the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) Div. II National Player of the Year.
From 2007-10, Valentine was an assistant coach at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, S.C. He coached four NCCAA All-Americans and one NAIA All-American during his tenure, and he was an exercise science instructor.
Prior to his arrival at Southern Wesleyan, Valentine was an assistant coach at Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, S.C., and he also coached the South Carolina Lady Flames AAU/travel basketball team – leading the Lady Flames to the 2005 15U AAU state championship, YBOA state championship, and the Reebok Hoops and DreamsSpring Showcase.
A nationally certified Nike/SPARQ trainer, Valentine has developed some of the country’s top high school, collegiate, and professional basketball and football players. Among those he has trained are former North Carolina stars Ivory Latta and Kenya McBee, former Clemson standout James Mays, and several other NFL and college basketball players nationwide.
Valentine also runs a performance training company named Elite Speed and Strength. He is a member of the Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals for Strength and Conditioning, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and the Black Coaches and Administrators Association.
Valentine, a native of Greenville, S.C., is married to the former Catherine Salterwhite and the couple has six children (along with four grandchildren). He resides in Newport News, Va.
