Coach Daisha Reed has served as Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Clark Atlanta University since November 21, 2023, building a program defined by competitive progress, academic excellence, athlete development, and community impact. In just three seasons, Coach Daisha has guided the Panthers to a conference championship appearance, national recognition, multiple individual honors, and sustained academic success while creating new resources and opportunities for the program.
In her first season, Coach Daisha led Clark Atlanta to the 2024 SIAC Tournament Championship match, finishing as conference finalists. The team also earned a 3.2 GPA, establishing a standard of achievement on the court and in the classroom. During the 2024–2025 season, the Panthers earned ITA All-Academic Team recognition, four student-athletes were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, and the program recorded the second-highest total of completed study hall hours within CAU Athletics. Coach Daisha also raised $11,500 to support the continued growth of CAU Women’s Tennis.
The program continued its upward trajectory during the 2025–2026 year. At the Inaugural 2025 SIAC Fall Slam, Clark Atlanta won eight medals and advanced to two doubles championship matches. Four Panthers earned silver medals, while Mia Parker captured medals in both singles and doubles. The program’s medalists included Mia Parker, Syanne Tyson, Janae Troupe, Jonay Brittain, Gabrielle Dooling, and Kennedy Talbert.
That competitive success was matched by exceptional academic performance. In Fall 2025, two student-athletes earned 4.0 GPAs, seven earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher, and the team posted a 3.27 semester GPA and a 3.34 cumulative GPA. Keynon Thompkins served as a CAU Presidential Ambassador, while Alexandra Turnbough and Thompkins were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
In Spring 2026, Clark Atlanta finished tied for second in the SIAC regular-season standings and reached a No. 103 national ranking among Division II programs. Freshman Syanne Tyson earned All-SIAC honors in singles, and Tyson and Joiya Middle received All-SIAC recognition in doubles. Tyson also defeated a Division I opponent at the HBCU National Tennis Championships.
Academically, four Panthers earned 4.0 GPAs, six earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher, and 10 of the program’s 12 student-athletes received ITA Scholar-Athlete honors. The Panthers again earned ITA All-Academic Team recognition, and student-athletes received SIAC Commissioner’s All-Academic honors. In recognition of the program’s success, Coach Daisha was named the 2025–2026 Clark Atlanta University Female Coach of the Year.
Coach Daisha also currently serves as SIAC Chair for Tennis, contributing to the development and advancement of the sport throughout the conference.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Coach Daisha was a championship student-athlete before becoming a coach. She helped lead her high school basketball team to the first state championship in school history and graduated in the top 10 of her class with a 4.0 GPA. She later attended Alcorn State University on a full basketball scholarship, earning SWAC Freshman of the Year, SWAC All-Rookie Team, and SWAC All-Tournament Team honors. She led the conference in three-point field-goal percentage and helped Alcorn State win multiple SWAC regular-season and tournament championships, including the program’s historic first NCAA Tournament appearance.
After basketball, Coach Daisha discovered tennis in the U.S. Virgin Islands and won her first doubles tournament in 2003. She continues to compete in ALTA and USTA tennis and has played on a division championship team based at the South Fulton Tennis Center. A 2005 Clayton State University graduate with a 3.6 GPA, she has spent nearly two decades working with young people as an educator, tennis instructor, coach, and athlete-development leader.
Beyond collegiate athletics, Coach Daisha leads Kidz & Tennis Rule Community Tennis Association, a nonprofit organization that expands access to tennis and youth-development opportunities for underserved and at-risk young people. Her community work also includes partnerships with Clark Atlanta University and HBCYouth that connect tennis, mentorship, early college exposure, and leadership development.
Coach Daisha’s coaching philosophy centers on developing highly skilled, confident, disciplined, and self-aware student-athletes. Through individualized coaching, accountability, academic support, and a commitment to the whole person, she prepares Panthers to compete at a championship level while building self-trust, leadership, and a lifelong connection to the game. Coach Daisha is committed to advancing Clark Atlanta Women’s Tennis as a program of competitive excellence, academic distinction, and meaningful impact.
