CFCC women’s basketball alumni joins coaching staff
Wilmington, NC – Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is excited to announce the appointment of Ayonna Cotten as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach. Cotten is a former New Hanover High School and Cape Fear Women’s Basketball standout.
She joins the Sea Devils’ Women’s Basketball coaching staff alongside fellow CFCC alumna Taylor Todd-Williams, who was officially promoted to Head Women’s Basketball Coach in April of 2023. Todd-Williams and Cotten played together at CFCC in the 2018-2019 season.
“This is a great opportunity to give back to a basketball program that has brought me so much success in my playing career,” says Coach Cotten. “I’m looking forward to coaching alongside Taylor Todd-Williams and making an impact on Cape Fear Athletics.”
Cotten earned numerous accolades while playing for CFCC, including All-Academic team honors and the team’s Most Valuable Player award in 2018. She was also an integral player in the team’s successful National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament runs in 2018 and 2019, where the Sea Devils finished as the third-rank team in the nation for the 2019 season. Cotten still holds the program record for most assists in a single game at CFCC.
Upon graduating from CFCC, Cotten transferred to Mississippi Valley State (an NCAA Division I institution) before finishing her playing career at Mount Olive, where she earned her 1,000th collegiate point and received many accolades, including team-high 3-point and free throw percentages, Conference-Carolina All-Tournament Team honors, and Dean’s List academic honors.
Before becoming a student-athlete at CFCC, Ayonna Cotten played basketball at New Hanover High School, where she was named 2016 Player of the Year.
“Having Coach Cotten on our staff will make an immediate impact on our Women’s Basketball program,” says CFCC Director of Athletics Ryan Mantlo. “We could not be more proud and excited to have two former CFCC student-athletes return to their alma mater to coach.”
