Gayle Fulks — Head Coach

Gayle Fulks became Davidson's 12th women's basketball head coach on May 10, 2017. She enters her eighth season at the helm of the Davidson women's basketball program.

Fulks is coming off of the heels of one of the programs most successful season after posting an 18-8 record in games played during 2023-24 to go along with a .692 winning percentage that ranked the third best in program history, while the 18 wins were tied for the most in a season since 2013. Davidson got off to an accelerated start with a 12-1 record including two wins over ACC opponents and their first-ever win over a ranked team. In mid-November, the 'Cats traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium and earned a 69-62 win over Duke, which was receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and was No. 22 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Poll. The noteworthy win over the Blue Devils ignited a 10-game winning streak for Davidson, which was the program's longest in 29 years.

Over the notable 2023-24 season, Fulks coached a pair of Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections in Elle Sutphin and Charlise Dunn. Sutphin was second on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game and shooting .465 from the field. The Pilot Mountain, N.C., native became the program's 23rd member of the 1,000 point club last season, hitting the milestone in a 19-point performance against Duke. Dunn ranked third on the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game while shooting .417 from the field.

Fulks' sixth season welcomed milestone victories for the Davidson women's basketball program, as the Wildcats defeated Morgan State on Dec. 28, 2022 for the program's 500th win and a 68-55 defeat of crosstown rival Charlotte captured the inaugural 704 Cup trophy. Throughout the campaign, Fulks coached Elle Sutphin, an Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference selection, to a Second Team All-Conference honor at the conclusion of the year. The redshirt-junior averaged 16.4 points per game during the regular season while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and a nationally-ranked 88.3 percent from the free throw line.

The 2021-22 season saw Fulks and the 'Cats conclude the season at the WBI for the program's fifth all-time postseason appearance. There, Davidson defeated Northeastern and Austin Peay to capture the most postseason victories in a single-season in program history, while ending the season at 18-15 overall, which marked the most wins in a single-season since 2012-13 and the most in Fulks' tenure.

In her fourth season Fulks led the Wildcats through an unprecedented season, as college basketball navigated the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-21. The 'Cats finished 9-14 overall, and 5-10 in Atlantic 10 play, while going on a six-game winning streak and starting league play off at a 3-0 edge. Davidson defended Belk Arena for the third straight season, finishing 5-4 at home and eclipsing a winning record on Bob McKillop Court for the third consecutive time.

Fulks coached senior guard Katie Turner to a record-setting season, as the Reno, Nev. native set the program record for most career three-pointers (233) during the final game of her career. Turner also ended her career as Davidson's all-time minutes played leader, while sitting top-10 in all-time scoring (1,251 pts) and third in career assists (444 assists).

The 2019-20 season was another successful campaign for Fulks and the women's basketball program. The Wildcats finished with a 16-15 record, their second straight season with a winning mark, and reached the A-10 Championship quarterfinals for the second consecutive season as well. The team got off to a program-best 5-0 record to start league play, which was its longest winning streak of the season and the longest overall since a six-game streak during the 2012-13 season.

Fulks had the honor of coaching the A-10 Rookie of the Year Suzi-Rose Deegan, the first Wildcat to earn the league's top rookie award since Davidson joined the A-10 in 2014-15 and just the third player overall in program history to claim rookie of the year. Deegan was also named to the A-10 All-First Team, while Katie Turner earned a spot on the league's all-third team for a second year in a row.

Davidson (17-15) made great strides during Fulks' second year, finishing tied for fourth in the A-10 standings after being picked to finish 11th in the preseason poll. The Wildcats went a program-best 10-6 in league play and won the program's first game in the A-10 Championship with a first-round victory against St. Bonaventure.

The Wildcats' 17 wins were the most since the 2012-13 season, with 10 of those wins coming at home. They led the A-10 in scoring (66.0 per game), turnover margin (+2.8) and offensive rebounds (13.9 per game). The 'Cats invite into the WBI was its fourth postseason appearance in program history.

Other stellar team highlights included setting a program single-season record for made and attempted threes by going 216-for-713 to break the previous record of 180-of-542 set in 2007-08, had four players average in double figures in points for the first time since 2001-02 and won the program's 450th win the the first-round victory vs. St. Bonaventure.

Under Fulks' guidance, Sarah Donovan (second team), Justine Lyon (third team) and Katie Turner (third team) each earned a spot on the A-10 All-Conference teams, while Donovan was tabbed the Most Improved Player of the Year and Lyon was named the league's Sixth Woman of the Year.

It was a solid first year for Fulks as a head coach at Davidson during the 2017-18 season. The Wildcats doubled their win total from the previous season by going 12-18 overall and 7-9 in Atlantic 10 play. Fulks earned her first career coaching victory with a 70-57 triumph at Western Carolina, Nov. 10. She became the third Wildcat head coach in the program's 39-year history to start a career with a win. It was also Davidson's 10th straight win in the series vs. the Catamounts.

Along the way, other highlights included a home opening win vs. UNC Asheville, a thrilling win at High Point by overcoming a 19-point third-quarter deficit and a victory against cross-county rival Charlotte that snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series. Davidson set a new road winning streak mark in A-10 games, running off a three-game streak with wins at Richmond, St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island.

During Fulks' first season, she saw senior Mackenzie Latt go over 1,500 career points and end her career third all-time in scoring to go with a second place finish in rebounds and made field goals. Latt was named to the A-10 All-Third Team, while Katie Turner earned a spot on the league's all-rookie team. Turner also set the single season record for made three-pointers with 75. Justine Lyon became the 20th Wildcat to reach 1,000 career points during Fulks first season as well.

Fulks came to Davidson from Wake Forest University, where she spent five years as an assistant coach under Jen Hoover. The last two seasons while there, 2015-16 & 2016-17, Wake Forest earned at-large bids to the Women’s NIT, reaching the second round both seasons during Fulks' tenure.

During the 2016-17 season, the Demon Deacons went 17-16 overall and earned a win over Bethune-Cookman in the first round of the WNIT before falling to Middle Tennessee State to end their season. Guard Alex Sharp became the second student-athlete under Fulks to be named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team, joining fellow teammate Ariel Stephenson who garnered the award a year ago from the Blue Ribbon Panel and the league's coaches.

In addition to helping the Demon Deacons to consecutive NIT appearances the last two seasons, Fulks was recognized during the 2015-16 campaign as one of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 honorees. The award is given annually to up-and-coming coaches 30 years old and younger, to recognize their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others' professional manner and attitude as well as association involvement.

While on the bench for Head Coach Jen Hoover the last five seasons, Fulks assisted in all aspects of the program, from academics to recruiting, where she served as an integral part to the Demon Deacons putting together ranked recruiting classes each year on staff.

In her first season with the Deacs, she helped guide one of the top-scoring backcourts in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Point guard Chelsea Douglas led the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game, while Lakevia Boykin was right behind her at 14.4 points. The two combined to make 134 three-pointers on the season, with Douglas' 72 ranking as the third-most for a single-season in school history.

Fulks joined the Wake Forest staff after one season as an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro in 2011-12. With the Spartans, Fulks assisted with academics, recruiting, scouting, game preparation and practice planning, along with player development. She also served as the team's academic liaison.

Fulks broke into the coaching ranks at Longwood University, where she was on staff from 2007-11. In her first season with the Lancers, they went 16-13, notching the program's best win total in its Division I era at the time.

Prior to her first collegiate job, Fulks served as the Assistant Video Coordinator during the 2007 season for the WNBA's New York Liberty, where she assisted with scouting reports and film exchange.

A four-year letterwinner at Fairleigh Dickinson, Fulks was a co-captain and member of the Northeast Conference All-Academic squad. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management.

"It is a dream come true to be named the next head women’s basketball coach at Davidson,” commented Fulks at her press conference on May 10. “I want to thank President Quillen and Jim Murphy for the opportunity to join this amazing community. I believe that Davidson has the perfect fusion of genuine and dedicated people, prestigious academics, and top-notch facilities to achieve a high level of success on and off the court. I will work tirelessly to create a culture of excellence in everything that we do. I cannot wait to get started. Go Wildcats!”

“Gayle understands the opportunities and relationships of a high-academic Division I environment,” said former Athletic Director Murphy. “She has been recognized by her peers for her commitment to the scholar-athlete experience and her ability to recruit and develop players. We welcome Gayle and her husband Ryan to the Davidson community.”