Chiante Wester enters her seond year as the head coach of the Tuskegee women's basketball program after being officially named as the new helm of the program on July 26, 2023.
Wester guided the Golden Tigers through a competitive 2023-24 season, where they achieved an overall record of 15-10 and went 11-8 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play. Wester’s leadership was instrumental in helping the team excel both at home and on the road, with an impressive 8-2 home record.
Under Wester’s guidance, the team’s offense averaged 62.2 points per game while shooting 39.3% from the field. The Golden Tigers’ defense was also a key strength, allowing 62.1 points per game and holding opponents to 36.7% shooting from the floor. Tuskegee’s defensive tenacity led to 7.4 steals and 2.5 blocks per game, keeping games highly competitive. Additionally, the team showed discipline at the free-throw line, shooting 68.7% on the season, slightly outpacing opponents' 62.4% free-throw percentage.
Individual standout performances included Sumaiyah Abdur-Rahim, who led the team in scoring with an average of 12.2 points per game, while Brittney Bolin closely followed with 12.0 points per game, and Jasmine Manuel contributed a robust 8.4 points per game while leading the team with 6.6 rebounds per game. Manuel’s consistent efforts in the paint were crucial, and she also added 19 blocks throughout the season, making her a vital defensive presence.
Wester signed on to lead the Golden Tiger program after serving the three previous seasons as the head coach at Livingstone College. While with the Blue Bears, she led the team to the CIAA Tournament Semifinals in 2021-22 after inheriting a rebuilding program.
Prior to her stint at Livingstone, Wester spent over a decade coaching at Virginia State in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association). During her tenure, the Trojans won five regular-season Division Championships in the CIAA, a 2015 CIAA Championship, and four NCAA Tournament appearances. VSU also captured 200 wins with Wester on the bench, along with the staff being responsible for more than 40 players achieving all-conference recognition, league Players of the Year, and produced the First ever VSU HBCU/CIAA Player of the Year and Academic All-Americans.
Wester worked primarily with the guards in her role at Virginia State. She assisted Coach Hill in all facets of player development, on the court coaching, individual skill instruction as well as on the recruiting trail. Her administrative responsibilities consisted of coordinating and directing community relations, outreach projects, managing and organizing team managers. She also oversaw the academic study hall and academic progress of the student-athletes within the Women's Basketball program. In 2013 Wester was selected to attend the NCAA Black Coaches and Administrators Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program. In 2008 Wester attended the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy.
Wester started coaching while serving as a mentor while assuming the title of Youth Basketball Director with the Garner Road YMCA before reuniting with her former coach James Hill, Jr. at Virginia State, where she spent 13 years as an assistant. During her tenure at VSU, the Trojans won five regular-season Division Championships in the CIAA, a 2015 CIAA Championship, and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
A native of Havana, Florida, Wester was a dynamic high school player while attending Havana Northside High School under the legendary Rosa Hughes-Browning. Following a successful prep career, Wester played collegiately for two seasons at the University of North Florida from 1998-2000, earning Panhandle 2nd Team All-Conference honors consecutively. She later transferred to Shaw University for the 2000-2002 seasons, resulting in the numerous team awards during her tenure.
Wester graduated cum laude from Shaw University in 2003 earning her bachelor's degree in allied health and recreation, before going on to attain her master's degree in Sports Management from Virginia State University in 2010.
