Black History Month Feature - Tanya Warren

February is Black History Month and the University of Northern Iowa will feature stories of African-Americans with ties to Panther athletic programs. The pieces will include the background of people of color and how those experiences relate to their playing or professional careers. The stories will be released each week in February.

First up is UNI women's basketball coach Tanya Warren, who was named the first black women's basketball coach in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2007.

Tanya Warren nearly gave up the game of basketball because of a family tragedy. Instead she chose to let it drive her, and it has led to a lifetime of friendships, moments and memories she will never forget.

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"When I think about what Black History Month means to me, I reflect on our ancestors and what they went through – good, bad and indifferent," Warren said. "We have a come a long ways, but we still have a long ways to go. Our ancestors opened doors to great opportunities for us. I take great pride and am grateful being a black female in a leadership role. I understand where we came from and strive daily to continue to pave the way and open doors for all women."

From a young age, Warren set Wilma Rudolph as a role model.

"I did a book report on Wilma Rudolph and always looked to her and what she was able to overcome and accomplish," Warren said. "She overcame polio, and she became the first black woman to win three gold medals in the Olympics."

Warren said she also looks to a pair of black, female basketball coaches who set the bar in her industry.

"The two icons that I look to are Marian Washington and C. Vivian Stringer," Warren said. "Marian worked for nearly 30 years at Kansas, and Vivian has done well at Iowa and Rutgers as she approaches 1,000 career wins. Those two definitely paved the way not only by how they coached the game but how they impacted young women off the court."

"Tanya was the first black head women's basketball coach in the Valley, and that is significant," former UNI Director of Athletics Rick Hartzell said. "She is a first-class representative of women in general and black women in particular. She is a trail blazer. She has gone where no one had gone before, and she has done it with class, professionalism, integrity and at a high level of success. That means a lot to everyone, regardless of race. But she is a role model to the minority community, no doubt about that. I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished."

Warren became the Valley's first black women's basketball head coach in 2007 when she took over the UNI Panther program from former head coach Tony DiCecco. DiCecco had led the Panther program for 12 seasons from 1996-2007 with a record of 183-161 (117-99 in MVC). When DiCecco took the reins to the program, it was a program that had never won more than four games in a conference season. One of DiCecco's assistants was Warren from 1995-2001.

Jim Flannery, Tanya Warren, Coni Yori — Jim Flanery, Tanya Warren, Connie Yori (Courtesy Creighton Athletics)

"Tanya and I go way back from not only her days as a Creighton player but also as one of the top point guards and softball players during her high school days in Iowa," DiCecco said. "I always was so impressed with her great passion of the game. Working with her as a teacher during Creighton summer basketball, I knew she could relate to any age players. On that same note, her ability to relate as a coach impressed me so much. She was my first and truthfully my only choice when I got the UNI head women's basketball job."

Warren had worked her way up the coaching ladder from her first job as a coach at Boys Town High School (1988-1992) in the Omaha area to Duchesne Academy (1992-1994) all the way to a restricted earnings assistant coach at Iowa State (1994-1995).

"My first job was as a counselor at Boys Town," Warren said. "When we decided to start a girls team, it truly wasn't about the scoreboard. It was helping them understand the importance of self-esteem, time management, work ethic and self-control. You can be anything you want to be."

Warren said she wanted to help young people become successful in life.

"There's no such thing as bad kids. There are kids who need attention, and we provided that for them," Warren said. "We use the platform of coaching to help young people become amazing young women. God has kept putting me in these positions to coach and that has allowed me to reach young people and inspire them to be the best that they can be."

Warren was ready to take the next step in college basketball, and knew she wanted to be a head coach. In her discussion with UNI's Director of Athletics Rick Hartzell, he let her know that if she wanted to take that next step, she had to gain some more experience in a different environment.

"I knew I wanted to be a head coach at Creighton, which is where I played, or at UNI where I got my first collegiate assistant job," Warren said. "Rick explained to me if I wanted to be a head coach that I needed to go work for someone else in a different system. I needed to continue to learn and take from others' philosophies to help continue creating my own philosophies.

The opportunity to be a head coach arose at UNI when DiCecco stepped down following the 2006-2007 season, and Hartzell knew that Warren was ready for the task.

"I saw a young woman who had a great background and experience who knew UNI and was from Iowa and understood what we were trying to get done," Hartzell said. "Further, I thought our program needed someone who could recruit minority young women and help build the program with more diversity. She was well-respected, energetic, a great recruiter and someone whom I thought could be at UNI for several years, and make the program better."

Warren, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, knew this was the right time to take over as well.

"To be able to come back to my home state and build on the foundation that we had helped set up at UNI was the perfect fit," Warren said. "Then to have the job be an hour and 40 minutes away from my parents who are both healthy enough to enjoy this journey with me was and is a dream come true."

Warren has taken the Panther women's basketball program to heights that many didn't think were possible. She is a three-time MVC Coach of the Year. She has guided the Panthers to three NCAA Tournaments – including an at-large berth into the 2017 NCAA field. Warren is the all-time wins leader at UNI after surpassing DiCecco last season.

And to think this almost didn't occur because of a family tragedy. As a 14-year old, Warren's older brother Steve died of a heart attack at the age of 17 while playing high school basketball in Des Moines. Warren was ready to give up the game she nearly and dearly loved because of the pain it had caused her.

"When I was contemplating quitting the game, my parents sat me down," Warren said. "They explained that my brother would want me to continue playing the game we all loved. From that day forward all I do, have done and will do in the game of basketball is in honor of my brother. It was a tragedy that has become a beautiful part of my journey. I coach because it's a great platform to help impact young people. It is my responsibility to make sure our young people are better upon leaving then arriving both on and off the court."

Warren said there are many others along that way that have allowed her to continue helping others, but then Creighton women's basketball coach and current Bluejay Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen is at the top of the list.

"My parents and Bruce Rasmussen have been the biggest influences in my life," Warren said. "Bruce wrote me a six-page, hand-written recruiting letter after seeing me at a basketball camp in Boone, Iowa. I had an amazing experience and would play for him again in a heartbeat. He taught me many things, but the one I carry with me is you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I believe it 100 percent to this day."

Warren credits UNI for selecting David Harris as its first black athletic director in 2016.

"David understands what we go through on a daily basis. He gets the big picture," Warren said. "To have that support means more than I can explain. I am very thankful to work with David."

Harris said UNI is in a great spot having Warren as the Panther women's basketball coach.

"Our department is incredibly fortunate to have Tanya Warren as the leader of our women's basketball program," Harris said. "She is a strong leader, coach, role model and a phenomenal person. As a pioneer for African-American coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference and across the country, her success opens doors for others. Tanya does things the right way and runs a first class program in all aspects."

Warren is happy to be the Panther head coach and looks forward to the future of UNI basketball, but there are certainly some great memories that have been made along the way.

Tanya Warren — Warren captured a gold medal for Team USA at the 2015 World University Games.

"Two of my proudest moments in coaching have come while at UNI," Warren said. "Winning the gold medal for Team USA at the World University Games in 2015 and earning the at-large NCAA Tournament bid in 2017 are the two biggest highlights for me."

DiCecco said Warren is everything you want in a person – not just a coach.

"Tanya is an amazing individual," DiCecco said. "She is a great role model for everyone to emulate. As they say in the coaching world - Tanya does it the right way. I have felt this way for many years. She is one of the top coaches in the country. She not only is one of the best teachers of the game but has the ability to inspire young adults to succeed in all phases of their lives."

Warren said it all boils down to one thing in coaching.

"When I hear from former players and know that they are successful in life, that is what brings me joy," Warren said. "The wins and the losses come and go, the trophies get rusty and dented, but the relationships we build are priceless."

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