University of Georgia Athletics
Bernadett Mattox Named Roane State's Outstanding Alumna
October 17, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Roane State is a regional two-year college in East Tennessee.
Mattox began her college basketball career at Roane State as the former Bernadette Locke. She graduated in 1979 and followed her coach, Andy Landers, to the University of Georgia. Mattox became the Lady Bulldogs’ first player to earn All-American and Academic All-American honors.
Although she played just two seasons at Georgia, Mattox still ranks among the program’s top 10 in career assists and steals.
“Bernadette set standards not only as a player but in the classroom that our players still strive to equal,” Lady Bulldog coach Andy Landers said. “In many ways, she’s the first lady’ of Georgia Basketball. We’re very proud of what she accomplished at Roane, at Georgia and throughout her career.”
Mattox stayed at Georgia, serving as an assistant coach under Landers beginning in 1985. She made NCAA history when she became the first female to serve as a Division I assistant for a men’s team, beginning a four-year stint under coach Rick Pitino at Kentucky in 1990.
Mattox was named an assistant athletics director at Kentucky in 1994. In 1995, Mattox became the first African-American to coach Kentucky women’s basketball. She led the program for eight seasons, including a 1998-99 campaign when the team recorded its first 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly a decade.
In 2003, Mattox became an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. The team has reached the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, including two trips to the WNBA Finals.
She lives in Lexington, Ky. with her husband, Vince, and son, Vincent.
Roane State’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2007 is filmmaker Keith McDaniel of Oak Ridge, Tenn.
