Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Director of Basketball Operations
- Email:
- laderica.paul@unt.edu
- Alma Mater:
- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 2019
LaDerica Paul is in her second season with UNT women’s basketball as the Director of Basketball Operations. Prior to arriving at UNT, Paul held the same title at the University of Incarnate Word.
Her first season at North Texas saw the team win a record at the time 23 games, including 13 in conference play that clinched a share of UNT’s first conference title since 1986. The Mean Green also earned a berth to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, marking the sixth postseason appearance in program history.
The Mean Green continued its success in Paul's second season, reaching 25 wins for the first time in program history. After posting a 15-3 mark in conference play, UNT earned a berth to the Women's National Invitation Tournament where it won a national postseason tournament game for the first time since 2019 in its run to the Round of 16.
In her one season at UIW, Paul helped the Cardinals win 15 games and earn the #4 seed in the Southland Conference Tournament. No stranger to Denton, Paul spent the 2021-22 season at Texas Woman’s University as an assistant coach.
Prior to her stint at TWU, she was also an Assistant Coach at North Central University in 2021. While at North Central, a NCAA Division III program, Paul assisted in leading the women’s basketball program to its first regular season championship and first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Championship.
A graduate and former player at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Paul excelled in academics and leadership, while balancing being an athlete. She was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, she received the Lee Denmonn III “Islander Way” Award, an award which recognizes a student for their excellence in leadership. Paul was also an avid leader in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee. She served as Executive Board Member for three years—Treasurer (2017), Secretary (2018) and President (2019).
After finishing her playing career, Paul remained at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as a graduate assistant for the Islanders. During the 2019-20 season, Paul assisted in coaching the program to its first Southland Conference Regular Season Championship.
Paul grew up in the surrounding area in Dallas, Texas, where she played high school basketball at Dallas Skyline High School. During her four years at Skyline, Paul’s most notable season was her senior year, when she helped lead Skyline to the 6A State Championship Game.
Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2019 and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management in 2020, both from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
COACHING HISTORY
2023-Present: UNT, Director of Basketball Operations
2022-23: University of the Incarnate Word, Director of Basketball Operations
2021-22: Texas Woman's University, Assistant Coach
2020-21: North Central University, Assistant Coach
2019-20: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Graduate Assistant Coach
PLAYING HISTORY
2016-19: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
2015-16: University of Missouri - Kansas City
