Charlotte, NC (January 19, 2026) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association mourns the passing of Coach James Sweat, one of the most significant and prolific figures in CIAA women’s basketball history whose career helped define an era of excellence at both Hampton University and Norfolk State University. Sweat’s leadership produced championships, elevated women’s basketball within historically Black colleges and universities, and shaped the lives of generations of student athletes in the NCAA.
Sweat first emerged as a transformative force during his tenure as head coach at Hampton University from 1981 through 1988. In seven seasons, his teams compiled an 183-44 record, won CIAA championships in 1985 and 1987, and became a perennial postseason contender on the NCAA Division II stage. Hampton’s 1987 to 1988 campaign stands as one of the most dominant in conference history, producing a 33-1 season and securing the NCAA Division II national championship with a victory over West Texas State,65-48. That title remains a defining milestone for the CIAA and an enduring achievement in HBCU women’s basketball.
Sweat’s time at Hampton was marked not only by championships but by player development at the highest level. He was named CIAA Coach of the Year three times and coached four consecutive CIAA Players of the Year, reinforcing his reputation as a coach who could both identify talent and prepare young women to excel on and off the court. Decades later, his contributions were recognized through induction into the CIAA Hall of Fame, the Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame, and the Virginia State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
After leaving Hampton, Sweat became head coach at Norfolk State University beginning with the 1988-89 season. Over nineteen seasons he guided the Spartans to more than 340 wins, five CIAA tournament championships, and multiple NCAA Division II regional appearances. Norfolk State’s 1990 to 1991 team achieved a school record 33 victories and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four, extending Sweat’s championship pedigree and solidifying his reputation as one of the most successful coaches in the region.
Norfolk State transitioned to Division I competition during Sweat’s tenure, and in 2002 the Spartans captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament championship, earning the program’s first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in women’s basketball. Sweat’s ability to guide a program through divisional transition while sustaining competitive excellence underscored both his adaptability and his command of the collegiate landscape.
Across his career, Sweat was known for demanding preparation, embracing accountability, and treating his players with dignity and purpose. CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker played for Sweat at Hampton and reflected on the role he played in her life and the lives of her teammates. She shared that at a time when she needed both guidance and belief, Sweat gave her an opportunity, challenged her to grow, and helped shape the trajectory of her life. His belief eventually led her to a position on the team as a walk-on and to a national championship season at Hampton. She credits Sweat with helping instill the confidence and discipline that would position her for a scholarship and guide her well beyond her playing career. His influence continues through the generations of young women who learned to believe in themselves because he believed first.
Looking beyond her own experience, McWilliams Parker also acknowledged his wider impact on NCAA women’s basketball, and the HBCU community, stating, “Coach Sweat elevated the game across our HBCU community and raised expectations for what our programs could achieve with the support and the investment. His leadership, his standards, and his belief in his student athletes helped shape generations of women who went on to lead in sport and beyond. His influence and legacy will be felt for years to come.”
Sweat and his wife, life partner for 66 years and longtime collegiate track and field coach LaVerne Sweat, are widely regarded in Hampton Roads and the broader NCAA, HBCU athletics community for their shared commitment to student athletes, education, and competitive excellence. Their joint induction into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame and others, reflects a lifetime of service to collegiate sport and to the region they helped shape.
Arrangements for memorial services will be shared as information becomes available. The CIAA encourages former players, colleagues, and supporters to keep the Sweat family in their thoughts during this time and to honor Coach Sweat’s legacy through continued support of women’s athletics throughout the HBCU community.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff | abutzlaff@theciaa.com
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
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