In November 2024, Delaware St. announced that it was adding women’s wrestling to its athletics roster, making it the first DI HBCU women’s wrestling program in history.
On Monday, the school announced that it found its leader and hired Kenya Sloan as the inaugural program’s first-ever head coach.
🚨Breaking News🚨
— Delaware St. Hornets (@DSUHornets) June 9, 2025
🗣️ Kenya Sloan Named the first Head Women’s Wrestling Coach. Welcome, to the Nest Coach Sloan!
#EntertheNest #GoHornets #LegacyandPride pic.twitter.com/Q0ycnpZtFw
Sloan is a Knoxville, TN, native with deep wrestling roots.
She was a four-year member and star of the Campbellsville University women’s wrestling team in Kentucky. She was a 4x TSSAA State Champion, team captain, a 2019 Junior Pan American Champion and a 2022 NAIA National Champion.
She then returned home to Knoxville and started the Knoxville Girls’ Wrestling Club and worked with the Knoxville Catholic High School girls’ program.
Sloan also worked as a clinician at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for girls’ U17 developmental camp.
After gaining valuable experience, Sloan took her coaching skills to Sacred Heart University in Connecticut where she served as an assistant coach of the women’s wrestling team.
Now she heads down Route 95 to Delaware St. to become the first-ever leader of the Hornets’ wrestling program at a time where women’s wrestling will finally become an NCAA Championship sport for the 2025-26 season.
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