Raman first Indian-orgin woman on NBA staff
MUMBAI: The Memphis Grizzlies, who narrowly missed making the play-offs in the 2019-20 season, have hired Indian-American Sonia Raman as one of their assistant coaches. She, thus, becomes the first woman of Indian origin to join the coaching staff of a National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
Raman, who is the head coach of the women’s basketball team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becomes the fourth person of Indian origin to work as a coach in the NBA, joining Vin Bhavnani (Oklahoma City Thunder), Roy Rana (Sacramento Kings) and Adi Vase (fitness coach with Golden State Warriors). Raman, who coached MIT for 12 years, will join head coach Taylor Jenkins’s staff on November 1.
She comes in place of Niele Ivey, a former Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star who left to take up the head coach’s role at University of Notre Dame. Sonia is the 14th woman coach in NBA history and the seventh to join the league since 2019.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff,” she was quoted as saying by the Grizzlies in a release. “I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started with Taylor, his staff and the team’s emerging young
core,” she said. “I must also give a truly special thank you to MIT and the women I’ve had the honour of coaching for the past 12 years.”
Raman enjoyed a successful stint at MIT as she took the team to three Division III finals and was also voted coach of the year in her region. As many as 18 of her players have earned New
England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference accolades, including four Rookie of the Year honours. Prior to her arrival at MIT, Raman was assistant coach at Wellesley College for six years.
Raman began her intercollegiate coaching career with a twoyear stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Tufts University. A four-year player and captain for the Tufts, she graduated in 1996 in International Relations and went on to receive a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2001.
Raman was in September 2017 selected to serve on the Coaches Council for the Alliance of Women Coaches, which aims to empower women coaches at all levels by providing support.