Cherelle Dennis returns to Delaware State University as an Assistant Coach and Director of Operations. Dennis previously spent three seasons with the Hornets from 2022-25, where she played an integral role in player development, recruiting, program operations, and student-athlete success. During her first stint at Delaware State, she helped develop several All Conference players, including Savannah Brooks (MEAC All-Rookie Team, 2023-24), Ericka Huggins (MEAC All-Rookie Team, 2024-25), Ja’naiah Perkins Jackson (2023-24 All-MEAC) and Kiarra McElrath (All-MEAC Third Team, 2024-25)
With more than 18 years of coaching experience, Coach Dennis joined Delaware State University in June 2022 after a successful five-year tenure at Lincoln University (Pa.) as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. While at Lincoln, she played a key role in helping the Lady Lions capture the program’s first CIAA Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 2022. The team also earned the CIAA Northern Division Championship during the 2021-22 season.
At Lincoln, Dennis' responsibilities included scouting, recruiting, coordinating campus visits, managing travel operations, organizing game-day preparations, overseeing day-to-day program operations, and assisting with fundraising efforts for the Quest2BeLite Basketball Camp. As Recruiting Coordinator, she was instrumental in identifying and attracting top talent to the program. Her recruiting efforts helped bring several standout student-athletes to Lincoln, including CIAA Player of the Year and All-American Kwanza Murray, Bryanna Brown, Kryshell Gordy (2021-22 All-CIAA First Team), Janya Lilly (2020-21 CIAA All-Rookie Team), DeAshia Young (2020-21 All-CIAA First Team), Michelle Fitzgerald (All-CIAA First Team and CIAA All-Tournament Team), and Jada Queen (2018 CIAA All-Rookie Team).
Prior to Lincoln, Dennis spent three seasons coaching at Newark Charter High School in Delaware. She served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being promoted to head coach for the 2015-16season.
Dennis also served as an assistant coach at Appoquinimink High School from 2007-12, helping guide the program to back-to-back conference championships and the school’s first-ever state tournament Final Four appearance in 2012.
A native of Yorktown, Virginia, and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Dennis began her collegiate playing career at Cecil Community College (Md.), where she helped lead the program to a conference championship. She later transferred to Lincoln University (Pa.), where she completed her collegiate playing career during the 2005-06 season.
Following her playing career, Dennis competed professionally with the Delaware Destroyers of the West Elite Basketball Association from 2007-09.
Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from Lincoln University in 2007 and a master’s degree in School Leadership from Wilmington University in 2010.
Committed to lifelong learning and leadership development, Dennis will also pursue her Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in Higher Education at Delaware State University in the Fall of 2026.
