UVA Wise Alumni Are at the Helm of Two Winning Wise County Teams

On Thursday of last week, the Siegal Center on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Richmond, Va., was filled with a lot of leaders who are well known to the UVA Wise community.

Local fans filled the stands, traveling nearly six hours, to watch the Virginia High School League (VHSL) girls basketball finals, with not just one, but two Wise County teams competing for a championship ring. The crowd watched two hard-fought games in spirited attire, with homemade signs and bated breath, waiting for the final buzzer of each game to sound. 

When the clocks expired, both the Eastside Lady Spartans (class 1) and Central Lady Warriors (class 2) were met with a new task: finding space for their new championship trophies. The common ground between Eastside High School and Central High School does not stop with their victories, however, as both teams are being led by UVA Wise alumni.

Lady Warrior head coach Robin Dotson ’81 of Wise, Va., and Lady Spartan head coach Terri Anne Funk ’07 of St. Paul, Va., both cite the College as a foundational influence in their coaching careers. 

UVA Wise caught up with both Coach Funk and Coach Dotson, respectively, to discuss their road to Richmond, coaching careers and the ways the College impacted them. 

Why did you decide to go to UVA Wise?

Funk: I wanted to be a two-sport athlete in college, and UVA Wise allowed me the opportunity to play both basketball and softball.

How did your time at UVA Wise impact you?

Funk: College was one of the best times of my life. I made many lasting, meaningful friendships at UVA Wise that have now spread out across the world. I was also on very successful basketball and softball teams. Being able to play at a high level on both of those teams taught me valuable skills as both a player and later as a coach. UVA Wise is also where I met my late husband, Brock Funk ’08, who held many UVA Wise baseball records during his time as an athlete. 

Walk me through your professional and coaching career.

Funk: I originally started off coaching basketball and softball at St. Paul before the schools consolidated. When my husband passed away in 2015, I stepped away to be a mother. In the 2017-18 school year, I was asked to join the Eastside boys basketball team as assistant coach, where we ended the year as state runners up. When the current head coaching position opened last year, I jumped on the opportunity. I prayed about it, and it ended up being perfect timing for my kids, Zeke and Zoey. So, I have been head coach of the ladies for two years now and I currently teach marketing at Eastside High School in Coeburn, Va.

Talk more about how being a student athlete might have influenced the way you coach.

Funk: Being an athlete at the College taught me that it’s so much more than just the W. Looking back, it was so much more than a sport for me. I don’t remember who we beat in softball during super regions, but I remember every girl that was on the field. It was very important for me to be able to translate that experience to the young ladies that I am tasked with coaching. The season will always end, but the friendships will last. 

What are some of the ways you have developed your team this season as a whole?

Funk: As a coaching staff, we focused on the mental growth of our athletes before physical. I think their mental toughness showed through some of the lower points in our season. They were able to overcome adversity and come out winners in the end, and for that I am very proud of them. For me, it’s so much more than teaching my kids how to make a layup or how to play defense, it’s about teaching them lifelong skills that go beyond their years on the court.

What was your motivation when coaching throughout this season?

Funk: I give all the glory to God. He is the reason that I am still able to have a smile on my face after everything that I have been through. 

Were there any low points this season? How did you overcome those moments?

Funk: From the get-go, we had a hard time with our wins and losses. We were not even .500 at Christmas, which could have easily defeated my team. But we were able to overcome that setback because we kept showing up and ended up being undefeated in the (class A) district this year.

How did it feel to have the support of the community behind you during this journey? 

Funk: It was amazing to look in the stands six hours away from home and see so many kids decked out in Spartan gear. Seeing that sea of green in the game meant a lot to me and my girls. We knew that we weren’t just playing for us, we were playing for the entire community. We truly have the best communities in the St. Paul and Coeburn area. 

How did it feel once the buzzer sounded, to have won after last year’s loss?

Funk: Senior Taylor Clay summed this up best, so I will copy her answer. This was our redemption game! We made all of the bad from last year good. It was a blessing from the Lord to be able to win with such a wonderful group of girls. I am so glad they got to experience a win on that level. The girls were also featured on ESPN’s TikTok page last night after posting a video of them pranking me after the win. I believe the video has over half a million views? The girls were really excited about that. 

The Eastside Lady Spartan Women's Basketball staff was just named Cumberland District & Region D Staff of the Year.

Why did you decide to go to UVA Wise?

Dotson: I originally started out at Eastern Kentucky University, where I played baseball for two years. I then decided I wanted to be closer to home, so I thought no better place to finish my education than UVA Wise. 

How did your time at UVA Wise impact you?

Dotson: I made lasting friendships that are spread out across the region. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I graduated from UVA Wise. 

Walk me through your professional and coaching career.

Dotson: I initially didn’t have any plans for coaching or teaching. After working the first couple years out of college, I got the itch to coach. I was then hired in the fall of 1984 at J.J. Kelly High School and became the head girls basketball coach in 1987. I have been the head coach ever since. I also teach personal finance at Central High School in Norton, Virginia and am the recruiting coordinator for the women’s golf team at UVA Wise. 

What are some of the ways you have developed your team this season as a whole?

Dotson: It takes talented players to compete at the high level we do. I have been very blessed with outstanding players this season. I look at them as what they can be, which is sometimes not what they foresee themselves as. I try to take the time to develop each player to their maximum individual capabilities while also molding them into a team player that can get along and function as part of a team. 

What was your motivation when coaching throughout this season?

Dotson: One of my players, junior Abbie Jordan, lost her brother Nate last April. I knew how important he was to this team and to Abbie. I think the world of the Jordan family and feel like that became our motivation going into this season, playing for Nate. They wanted to get back into the state tournament and redeem themselves after last year’s loss. 

Were there any low points this season? How did you overcome those moments?

Dotson: It’s not peaches and cream the entire season. When you’re working with a group of individuals, there are always things that can be better. We overcame things to develop a chemistry that was basically unbreakable by the time we got to the state tournament. It’s never a smooth path. We didn’t have anything major to overcome, but we always had to work together. 

How did it feel to have the support of the community behind you during this journey? 

Dotson: It was fantastic! When we got to Richmond and saw the sea of red in the stands, it was incredible. People packing up and driving hours to support us made us want to bring the win back for them. 

In what ways would you say that basketball has become more than a game for you all?

Dotson: It’s more than a game because of all the emotions that go into it. You want to represent your community, give them a sense of pride. The tragedies we have suffered as a team in the past year and a half devastated all of us. From the losses of loved ones to the injuries, we went through a lot. All of that helped motivate us and gave us the strength to carry on and be our best.

How did you all celebrate after you won?

Dotson: We went to Longhorn Steakhouse, which a staple of ours that we always do. After we ate, we went back and watched Eastside play that evening. Watching the girls support Eastside really spoke to their heart. As soon as their game was over, they asked Eastside if they could take a picture with them, which touched my heart immensely. They wanted to share the moment with Eastside and show them the support they deserved, without anyone else prompting them to do it. 

This victory makes Dotson’s eighth state ring, with seven coming from the Lady Warriors since the school’s creation in 2011. Dotson was also just named VHSL Class 2, Region D and Mountain 7 District Coach of the Year.