Tenure at Prairie View A&M (2018–Present)
Sandy Pugh took over as head coach of the Prairie View A&M Panthers on May 7, 2018, and now enters her sixth season. Under her leadership, the team has achieved significant milestones, including one of their best seasons since 2012-13. The Panthers finished the 2019 season with a 17-14 overall record and secured the No. 2 seed in the SWAC Tournament. Two of her players, Shala Dobbins and Artavia Ford, earned All-SWAC honors that year, with Ford later playing professionally for Cluj-Napoca in Romania (2019-20).
Previous Success at Southern University (2000–2018)
Before joining Prairie View, Pugh spent 18 seasons at Southern University, amassing a remarkable legacy. She guided the Jaguars to:
- 7 SWAC regular-season titles (shared or outright)
- 4 SWAC Tournament championships
- 4 NCAA Tournament berths
- 4 NIT appearances
During her tenure, Pugh was named SWAC Coach of the Year four times, including in her final season when the Jaguars clinched the regular-season title.
Her impact at Southern included:
- 15 seasons with .500 or better records, including 13 winning seasons.
- Five seasons with 20+ wins.
- Over 300 victories.
In just her second year, Pugh led Southern to a program-record 26 wins, securing its first SWAC regular-season and tournament titles and an NCAA Tournament berth. The team featured Jaclyn Winfield, the first and only SWAC player drafted into the WNBA, selected in the fourth round by the Utah Starzz.
The Jaguars won three SWAC regular-season and tournament titles under Pugh’s leadership, earning NCAA Tournament berths in 2002, 2006, and 2010. They also won outright SWAC crowns in 2010 and 2014 and shared the title in 2016.
In addition to her coaching duties, Pugh served as Southern’s interim Athletic Director from 2011-12.
Coaching Career Highlights
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Meridian Community College (1996–2000):
Pugh launched the women’s basketball program at MCC, leading the Eagles to two Region 23 titles and back-to-back NJCAA National Tournament appearances (1998, 1999), finishing as high as sixth nationally.
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Assistant Coaching Roles:
- Northwestern State (1987–89): Pugh helped lead the Lady Demons to an NCAA Tournament berth in 1989 as a graduate assistant.
- Louisiana-Monroe (1990–95): Helped the Warhawks qualify for the WNIT in 1994.
- Central Florida (1995–96): Played a role in the Lady Knights’ NCAA Tournament run.
Playing Career and Personal Achievements
A native of Saline, Louisiana, Pugh was a two-time state champion at Campti High School (now Lakeview High). She was a three-time All-Conference selection at Northwestern State University, leading her team to three consecutive Gulf Star Conference titles (1985–1987).
Pugh earned Conference Player of the Year honors in her senior year, averaging over 21 points per game. Her outstanding collegiate career earned her induction into the NSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
