In 1986, Ramona Edwards ventured from the vibrant streets of Boston to the hallowed grounds of Miami Dade College's South Campus (now called the Kendall Campus). Arriving as a promising recruit, she was expected to play a key role for Miami Dade's first-year – and now legendary - head coach Susan Summons.  

Edwards lived up to the billing and alongside teammate and fellow FCSAA Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Madeline Pumariega (now President of Miami Dade College), helped the Lady Jaguars to a Southern Conference Championship and a berth in both the 1987 and 1988 FCSAA Tournaments. Averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as the Lady Jaguars' point guard, Edwards was named First-team All-Southern Conference.  

Her success at Miami Dade allowed Edwards to earn a scholarship to Barry University, where she played for another legendary coach – Dan Olson – and was a member of the first team in school history in 1988.  

Since Edwards' playing career ended in 1990, two things have remained constant over the last 30-plus years: her investment in higher education and the game of basketball.  

In 1990, she seized a part-time role as Assistant to the Sports Information Director at Barry. She later obtained a part-time position in the Testing Center at Miami Dade's North Campus, thus beginning a distinguished career at her alma mater.  

From Program Coordinator to Assistant to the Dean of Student and Administrative Services to Director of Campus Administration on Miami Dade's Medical Campus, a position she has held for the past 11 years, Edwards continues to re-invest in an institution that made a significant impact in her life. In a full-circle moment, in the summer of 2023, Edwards was chosen to serve as Interim Director of Athletics at the Kendall Campus, and she has even joined the ranks of adjunct professor in the School of Business at Miami Dade's North Campus.  

Edwards has never been too far from the hardwood either, enjoying successful tenures as both head coach and assistant head coach at various high schools, including Cooper City, Pine Crest and West Broward. She is currently coaching a women's basketball team that will participate in the Senior Olympic Games.  

Edwards has also served as Vice President and Head Coach of Senior Girl's Travel Basketball at South Florida Pressure, Inc., where she scouts and molds talent, paving the way for opportunities at the collegiate level.  

Chanda Rigby, Pensacola State College 
Coach | 2005-12 

Since taking over the Troy University women's basketball program in 2012, Chanda Rigby has made the Trojans a perennial Sun Belt Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament contender. Before that, however, came a seven-year run as head coach at Pensacola State College, where she compiled a record of 153-64 between 2005 and 2012. 

After winning just nine games in her first season in Pensacola, Rigby and the Pirates improved their win total in each of the next five years. Although her first 20-win season in 2009 wasn't enough to earn a postseason berth, the Pirates qualified for the FCSAA Tournament in 2010 and finished with 24 victories.  

Rigby's final two seasons with the Pirates were nothing short of magical – back-to-back Panhandle Conference and FCSAA Championships, two Panhandle and FCSAA Coach of the Year Awards, 64 wins and consecutive third-place finishes in the NJCAA Tournament.  

In 2011, the Pirates were a perfect 12-0 in the Panhandle enroute to a 34-0 start and the program's first FCSAA Championship in 26 years. Pensacola State fell in the NJCAA Semifinals and eventually ended the season with a record of 35-1.  

The following season was quite the encore, as the Pirates repeated as Panhandle and FCSAA Champions and again advanced to the NJCAA Semifinals, ending the season with a record of 29-4 and setting the stage for Troy to hire Rigby.  

Rigby's tenure at Pensacola State produced four All-FCSAA performers, four NJCAA All-Americans and three WBCA All-Americans.  

Now in her 13th season as head coach at Troy, Rigby has amassed 228 victories, including seven seasons of 20 wins or more, three Sun Belt Tournament Championships, two Sun Belt Regular Season titles, three trips to the NCAA Tournament, seven postseason appearances, 20 all-conference selections, five Sun Belt postseason award winners, one Sun Belt Player of the Year and Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors in 2021.  

Earlier this season, she won her 450th career game as a college head coach, which also includes four seasons at Holmes (Miss.) Community College.  

In 2022, the Alabama High School Athletic Association presented Rigby with its Bubba Scott Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her efforts, both on-and-off the court, to elevate the quality of women's basketball in the Troy community, as well as the state of Alabama.  

Rigby is a two-time graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and earned her doctorate in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2017.  

Carla Williams, Pensacola State College 
Player | 1992-94 

A gifted basketball player, coach, scholar, educator and mentor, Carla Williams was, perhaps, the best to ever wear a Pensacola State College Pirates uniform.  

An academic and athletic standout at Graceville High School, Williams led her team to a state championship in 1992, then played two seasons at Pensacola State College for Hall of Fame coach Vicki Carson, where she continued to excel in both the classroom and on the court. In each of her seasons, she was named All-Academic, All-Panhandle Conference and All-FCSAA. In 1993, she was named to the FCSAA All-Tournament Team and still holds the FCSAA Tournament record for most free throws made and attempted in both a game and tournament.  

After graduating from Pensacola State, Williams continued her collegiate career in Tallahassee, playing at Florida State University, where she started 52 games and scored 770 points from 1994 to 1996. Almost 30 years later, Williams' name continues to dot the Seminoles' record book. She still holds the single-season record for free throws made and attempted.  

Williams again was lauded for success as a student, earning ACC All-Academic honors.  

With her playing days over, Williams, who graduated from FSU in 1996 with a degree in management, made her way back to Pensacola State College, where she became an associate professor, spending more than 24 years working in the Collegiate High and Mathematics and Computer Science Departments. Williams went on to earn a master's in education, as well as an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of West Florida.  

Williams also remained heavily invested in the Pirates' athletics department. After initially serving as an assistant coach on Carson's staff for eight seasons, she became a tutor for the student-athletes and worked as a table official for home basketball games. In 2006, she was presented the Academy of Teaching Excellence's Outstanding New Faculty Award.  

Williams was active in her church, as well as in the Pensacola and Escambia County communities, serving as a mentor, tutor and advisor to many young athletics.  

Williams, who passed away in May 2022, was inducted into Pensacola State's Athletics Hall of Fame later that year and had her #22 retired by the College in 2023.  

Determined to celebrate Williams' life permanently, Pensacola State College has established the Carla Williams Memorial Endowed Scholarship to help lift, inspire and support PSC student-athletes now and long into the future.