Head Coach Ebony Tanner of Saint Augustine's University has officially announced Sept. 30, 2021, that Latasha Shipman-Ganus has joined the Lady Falcons' basketball staff as Assistant Head Coach.
Shipman-Ganus is well known in women's basketball circles as a veteran coach and former star collegiate player. She has coached at Florida A&M, Livingstone College, the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG), and nearby Shaw University.
"I am so excited to welcome Coach Ganus to the Falcon Family!," Tanner said. "Her knowledge of the game and passion on and off the court will be invaluable to our players. Ganus brings experience as not only a successful player in the CIAA conference but also as a successful coach. We are extremely lucky to have her on the sidelines!"
At Florida A&M, Shipman-Ganus was an Associate Head Coach from 2015 to 2019 and Assistant Coach from 2008 to 2012. During her tenure there, she recruited Mya Moye, the 2019 MEAC Rookie of the Year, and Kimberly Sparkman, who scored over 1,000 points and broke the school record for three-pointers in a season.
Shipman-Ganus also mentored Antonia Bennett, the 2012 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Qiana Donald, the 2021 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
At Livingstone College, Shipman-Ganus helped direct the Lady Blue Bears to a 24-1 regular-season record. The previous five seasons, Livingstone's record was a combined 53-82. She was an Associate Head Coach at Livingstone from 2014 to 2015.
She was an Assistant Coach at UNCG from 2012 to 2013 and at Shaw, her alma mater, from 2004 to 2008. Shipman-Ganus helped lead Shaw to three consecutive CIAA championships and three straight CIAA division titles. The Lady Bears were crowned NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional champions and reached the national Elite Eight in back-to-back years.
Before becoming a coach, Shipman-Ganus earned a reputation as one of the best women's basketball players in the CIAA and Division II nationally from 2000 to 2004 at Shaw.
"It feels amazing to be back in the city that birthed me," Shipman-Ganus said. "Coach Tanner is on the verge of creating something special here at St. Augustine University. This is her time and I'm just honored that she has allowed me to tag along for the ride."
A two-time All-CIAA performer and 1,000-point career scorer, Shipman-Ganus was one of the cornerstones of Shaw's multiple-championship run, which started in the 2000s. She was a key figure on a Lady Bears squad that won two CIAA championships and two conference division crowns.
An inside player, Shipman-Ganus was successful on the professional level overseas, averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds in the country of Chile in South America.
A native of Riegelwood, N.C., Shipman-Ganus graduated from Shaw University in 2004 with a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in International Business.
She is married to Albert Ganus Jr. and they have two sons – Albert III (age 7) and Jacob (age 3).
