Texas Southern University announced today it received a Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF®). Grants were awarded to institutions to support collegiate women coaches on the rise, assisting with living expenses, professional development and mentorship. Graduate assistant golf coach Sylvia Masango is among this year's grant recipients, which are designated for women coaching fellows in a wide variety of sports.
"We are proud to be a member of this year's class of the Women's Sports Foundation VanDerveer Fund recipients," said TSU Assistant AD/SWA Dr. Dwalah Fisher. "We recognize the critical importance of closing the gender gap in the coaching ranks, and seeing more women in these influential roles helps inspire our women student athletes. This grant will allow us to provide Texas Southern Athletics with additional administrative support while developing a future woman leader in collegiate athletics. The Fellow will assist with key priorities including student-athlete development, academic success, Title IX and gender equity, community engagement, and strategic initiatives. The fellowship will also connect TSU Athletics to valuable professional networks and best practices, strengthening the department's capacity to enhance the overall student-athlete experience and advance operational excellence.
Dr. Courtney Flowers (a former golfer at Mississippi Valley State University and TSU HKSS Sports Studies and Sport Leadership professor, played a major role in securing the WSF VanDerveer Fellow as her, Dr. Fisher and head golf coach Willie Shankle will serve as mentors throughout the fellowship.
A former All-SWAC golfer at Alabama State, Masango currently serves as a graduate assistant for the men's and women's golf teams. She also assists various departments across the Texas Southern campus in whatever capacities needed.
"Being a WSF VanDerveer Fellow is an absolute honor and privilege, one that will help me continue developing as a leader and pave the way forward for the next generation of women in sport," said Masango.
Since Title IX's passage, the representation of women in collegiate coaching roles has drastically declined. During the 1970-71 academic year, women served as head coaches for 90% of women's college teams. Fast forward to the 2024-25 academic year, women held only 41% of head coaching positions in women's NCAA sports. The disparity is even more pronounced among BIPOC women, who made up only 8% of head coaches in women's NCAA sports. In the same year, only 29% of all NCAA assistant coaches were women, with only 7% of all assistant coaches for men's and women's teams being BIPOC women.
Furthermore, WSF's research report, "
Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sports on Women's Leadership," revealed that there are still barriers to sport participation, including a lack of women role models and access to quality coaches. The data shows the lack of representation in coaching positions throughout the country is evident, and WSF is taking steps to address it by expanding the pipeline for aspiring women coaches at the collegiate level through the Tara VanDerveer Fund.
Inspired by the trailblazing coach, the WSF Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching honors her legacy while investing in the future of collegiate sports. At the center of the program is the VanDerveer Fellow experience. Fellows participate in monthly connection and development sessions, engage with mentor coaches, and learn from inspirational guest speakers who are leaders in sport and beyond. The experience also includes a trip to New York City for WSF's Annual Salute to Women in Sports
® and related events. Together, these opportunities foster a strong, supportive community where Fellows learn from experts and each other, while applying new insights to their teams and careers.
This cohort continues the work of the Fund, which has now provided more than $1.6 million to 58 colleges and universities, supporting 68 VanDerveer Fellows across 17 sports. WSF looks forward to seeing where this group takes their coaching careers.
"For more than 50 years, the Women's Sports Foundation has worked to expand opportunities for women to lead in sport, and coaching is a critical part of that work," said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. "Women coaches bring invaluable perspectives, leadership and lived experience to athletes and the broader sports ecosystem. Through the Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching, we are helping ensure more women have the opportunity to build careers and shape the future of sport. When young athletes see women coaching and leading, they see what is possible for themselves, and that is a legacy we are proud to continue building."
To learn more about the VanDerveer Fund and meet the 2026 grant recipients, please visit:
WSF Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching
