lady_roadrunner

Head Coach Byron Coleman begins his fifth year as head coach of the Lady Roadrunners basketball program – his 12th season overall, having served as an assistant with the program – having recorded consecutive 20-plus-win seasons. His 2008-2009 group finished 23-8 – one win short of the program’s record – and made it two games deep into the Region XIV Conference tournament in Tyler. His group included a conference Freshman of the Year, one All-Region and two All-Conference selections, as well as the Tournament MVP. That appearance meant Coleman would celebrate his fourth consecutive trip to the tournament, and he enters 2009-2010 with a career record of 79-44.

Before assuming head coaching duties, Coleman spent seven years as the assistant coach for the Lady 'Runners. During this time the Lady Runners produced three 20-plus win seasons – including a school record 24 wins in 2002 – and were regulars at the Region XIV tournament.

In addition to last season's player superlatives, Coleman has recruited numerous All-Region and All-Conference players, as well as having had two Academic All-Americans named during the same season in 2005-06. The 2004-05 team received Academic All-American honors after posting the requisite 3.0 team GPA.

Coleman graduated from Angelina College in 2000 with an associate's degree in general studies; from there, he earned a degree in Kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin University and a master's degree in Human Sports and Performance from New Mexico Highlands University. He was a three-sport athlete at Diboll High School, competing in football, basketball and track.

He is married to Tamula Coleman.

Assistant Coach Ashley Walker enters her fifth season as the Lady Roadrunners' assistant. A former Lady Roadrunner herself, Walker played for AC from 1999-2002, and was part of the team that won a school record 24 games against just seven losses in 2001-2002.

As the Lady 'Runner assistant, Walker's duties include recruiting, along with player enrollment and development.

Walker was a two-time letter winner at Bryan High School who made the Second Team All-District her senior year. She went on to play basketball for, and earn a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Studies from, Texas Wesleyan University, where she started in 16 games her junior year. Walker made Honorable Mention All-Conference as the Lady Rams' third leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In her senior season, Walker averaged 14.7 points and 8.4 rebounds –numbers good enough to lead the Lady Rams to a 22-9 record and land Walker on the First Team All-Conference list. She also made the RRAC All-Conference Player of the Week list four times.

Walker's sister Amanda Walker played basketball at Houston-Tillotson University.

She is the daughter of Thomas and Dorothy Walker of Bryan.

Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as AC’s Marketing & Development Coordinator, begins his fifth season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor's degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For nine years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/ photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association's first-place award for column writing in 2007. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and web stream play-by-play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate, calling basketball, baseball and football.

Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years.

He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.