University of Rhode Island

Timothy Eatman joined the Rhode Island women’s basketball coaching staff in May 2014.

Eatman came to Kingston from Northeastern, where he spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach on Daynia La-Force’s staff. His first season with Rhode Island will mark his second season with La-Force.

A veteran of more than 20 college basketball seasons, Eatman has been a head coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1998-2002) and Talledega College (1988-1990). At Illinois-Chicago, he had two top 20 recruiting classes and recorded the program’s highest win total in seven seasons when he led the Flames to 15 wins during the 2001-02 season. At Talledega, he took the program from 0-26 to 16-13 in his first season.

He also has been an assistant coach at Boston College (2011-12, interim head coach 2012), Arkansas (2007-2011), Louisville (2004-07), Kansas (2002-04; 1996-98), Iowa (1994-95), Houston (1992-93) and Mississippi State (1990-92).

One of the best recruiters in women’s basketball, Eatman was recognized by Lindy’s Magazine as the nation’s top recruiter while he was at Iowa in 1994. Over the course of his career, he has played a major role in bringing in 11 top 30 recruiting classes. Six of his former players went on to play in the WNBA, and 13 have joined the coaching ranks.

While at Arkansas (2007-08), Eatman was the team’s defensive coordinator when the Razorbacks set a school record for fewest points allowed in an SEC contest (42 against Mississippi State. At Louisville (2004-07), he helped the Cardinals reach three straight NCAA tournaments. Eatman also recruited eventual Big East Player of the Year Angel McCoughtry.

Eatman has two stints at Kansas under his belt, serving as an assistant for Marian E. Washington from 1996-98 and again from 2002-04. He helped the Jayhawks win the Big XII title in 1997, reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1998 and he was the position coach for Kodak All-American Tamecka Dixon during the 1996-97 season. Dixon went on to be a first-round draft choice for the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks.

A 1988 graduate of Talledega College,  Eatman earned completed his Master of Sacred Literature in Christian Education from Louisville Bible College in 2008. 

Updated: 5/8/15