By SETH STRINGER, Northwest Florida Daily News

"She's our head coach going forward," Northwest Florida State athletic director Ramsey Ross said of Tamela McCorvey, who on Thursday was promoted from women's basketball "acting" head coach to head coach.

His voice was unwavering with confidence. His decision, made alongside NWF State president Dr. Ty Handy, was resolute.

Through 24 games, McCorvey has guided the Raiders to 22 wins and No. 5 national ranking. They're second in the Panhandle Conference and trail only Chipola in the state.

Added up, McCorvey has exceeded expectations since taking over the program following Patrick Harrington's tragic death in October.

"Since leading the program in October, she's not only proven her ability to win games but also has demonstrated incredible leadership qualities," Ross said. "To guide the program to these heights during such an emotional season is remarkable and it proves why coach McCorvey is the right choice for Northwest Florida State College."

For McCorvey, whose résumé includes a storied collegiate career with Okaloosa-Walton Junior College (now NWF State) and Auburn and a five-year stint as assistant coach for the Raiders, the announcement was humbling.

"This is a huge honor for me," she said. "I feel extremely blessed with this opportunity, and I personally want to thank Mr. Ross and Dr. Handy for the confidence they've shown in me. I'd also like to thank Coach Harrington and his family for all of their support over the past four years.

"I'm now looking forward to finishing out our season as strongly as we started and continuing the success of the program."

With the distraction of an offseason job search off the table, McCorvey can focus solely on building on back-to-back national quarterfinal appearances.

A win or a Tallahassee loss will shore up a FCSAA tournament bid for the Raiders, who trail Chipola by one game in the loss column.

That means their regular-season finale against the Indians on Feb. 21 will likely determine the conference champion.