Jennifer King, the first female African American assistant coach in the National Football League, as well as University of Houston head coach and Pembroke native Kelvin Sampson are among a host of stars scheduled to highlight the night when the UNC Pembroke athletics department holds its five-day virtual Cash Bash event, October 13-17.
Former NC State basketball standout Dereck Whittenburg, who helped lead the Wolfpack to the 1982-83 national championship, as well as Brian Bersticker, a center for the UNC-Chapel Hill cagers from 1997-02, will be among the virtual conversations as well. The conversation with all four stars, as well as an intermittent roundtable with Athletics Director Dick Christy, will be led by second-year staffer Jon Gross who serves as the director of the UNCP Sports Network.
Supporters wishing to participate in the event must pre-register at UNCPBraves.com/CashBash. Registration is free, and all participants will receive a virtual program for the event prior to start. A silent auction, featuring everything from game-day experiences to trips and apparel, will begin on October 9 and close on October 17.
King, a native of Reidsville, became the NFL's first African American full-time assistant coach when she joined the Washington Football Team's staff this year. A seven-time all-American quarterback and wide receiver with the Women's Football Alliance's (WFA) Carolina Phoenix, she also has prior coaching experience as an assistant at Dartmouth, as well as an internship with the Carolina Panthers. She also served as head coach of the women's basketball team at Johnson & Wales for two seasons.
Sampson, a standout two-sport athlete for the Black & Gold from 1973-78, is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Houston Cougars. The Pembroke product has previous coaching stops at five other colleges, as well as stints with both the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sampson also led the 2004 Under-21 United States national team to a gold medal in Under-21 Tournament of the Americas and served as an assistant coach for the U.S. national team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
Whittenburg averaged a team-best 15.7 points per game in leading the Wolfpack to the 1982-83 NCAA Championship, including an 84-82 win over top-seeded and heavily favored Houston in the national championship game. NC State concluded that campaign with 10-straight wins – six over nationally-ranked squads – and became famous for his post-game hugs with legendary coach Jim Valvano. Whittenburg currently serves as an associate athletics director with the Wolfpack.
Bersticker was a part of two NCAA Final Four and a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference Championship squads in Chapel Hill and shot better than 50% from the field across his collegiate career. A native of Virginia Beach, Va., he played alongside former UNC stars Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. Bersticker, who earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree at UNC, currently serves as director of member services with UNC's Rams Club.
