Who is Courtney Banghart’s Assistant Head Coach Joanne Aluka-White?

Joanne Aluka-White will be in her seventh year as a part of the UNC women's basketball coaching staff.

Mar 28, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart signals in to her team during the Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the Duke Blue Devils at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Courtney Banghart and the North Carolina Tar Heels made it to the Sweet 16 this past NCAAT before taking a fall against the Duke Blue Devils. However, alongside Coach Banghart is Assistant Coach Joanne Aluka-White, who will be in her seventh season at UNC this upcoming year.

Aluka-White has extensive experience, not only as a coach, but also as a player, having been part of the Nigerian national team during the Olympics many moons ago.

Below is a breakdown of her career and what she adds to the coaching staff under Coach Banghart, per GoHeels:

"Aluka-White was the associate head coach on the Charlotte women's basketball staff for two seasons, receiving the promotion before the 2017-18 campaign after serving previously as an assistant coach for the 49ers. She played a vital role on head coach Cara Consuegra's staff, overseeing the development of the post players.

Aluka-White has participated in several professional development and coaching seminars through the years, most recently the inaugural Next Chair event on the Charlotte campus in May 2019. She also has been selected for the NCAA Minority Coaches Forum for Basketball in Charlottesville, Virginia during the 2017 and 2018 springs.

In June 2013, she was chosen to attend the Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program, which is designed for minority coaches. It was funded by the NCAA and the Advocates for Athletic Equity (AAE).

Prior to coming to Charlotte, Aluka-White spent from 2006-07 through 2011-12, as an assistant coach at FIU. During her six years with the Panthers, the program reached the 2011 and 2012 Sun Belt Tournament semifinals and earned an at-large bid to the postseason, competing in the WNIT for the first time since 2005-06. It capped the school's first 20-win campaign in the last 10 years and their second-straight 10-win Sun Belt record.

Aluka-White was a successful collegiate basketball player at Middle Tennessee. The Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 1999, she scored more than 1,000 points during her career as a Blue Raider. She was voted team captain and helped MTSU capture an OVC Tournament championship, an NCAA Tournament ticket and two WNIT berths.

The culmination of her playing career came with her selection to Nigeria's national team and a trip to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Nigeria won the first Olympic game in the country's history. She also saw playing time professionally in Europe prior to the Olympics, and while in Portugal, she led her team to the 2004 National Cup final."

The UNC women's basketball team looks to extend its stay during next year's NCAAT, and having Aluka-White there as a leader will be a contributing factor, similar to Hubert Davis' Assistant Coach Jeff Lebo and Brad Frederick.

Please follow us on X when you click right here!

Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right here!