Alabama A&M’s Dawn Thornton: ‘I could transform into somebody else’ via fashion

In Andscape’s new series “From Closet to Court,” NCAA women’s basketball coaches open the doors to their style playbook, breaking down the wardrobe pieces, personality and purpose behind their game day looks.

Alabama A&M University head women’s basketball coach Dawn Thornton’s bold fashions reflect a woman who received multiple lessons during her formative years on what confidence looks like.

Though Thornton is now recognized as the “Diva Coach,” while growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, she was bullied over her appearance.

As a young girl, she spent countless hours in her aunt Thelma Sanders’ boutique, running around in heels and watching Black women walk through the doors and leave transformed with new clothes, wigs, and other accessories. Those moments first taught Thornton the importance of seeing Black women reflected in spaces that affirm their worth – lessons she now carries into her program.

“My young women being able to see me in other elements, I think that gives them confidence also when they are learning to embrace who they are as they are putting on clothes and being in different spaces as well,” Thornton said. “Because I do have a different level of confidence in myself when I’m able to put it all together.” 

Thornton struggled with low self-esteem throughout high school and during her first two years at Atlanta Metropolitan College. Then she enrolled at historically Black Jackson State University, where the blueprint for her “Diva Coach” alter ego was modeled for her.

During her time as a basketball player in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), she watched then Jackson State head coach Denise Taylor command respect while showcasing her sense of fashion. Taylor, a former WNBA head coach, was known for wearing suits, bright lipstick and animal prints on the sideline. 

“I’m like, ‘OK, Coach, OK,’ as she would walk around with that on and the way that she carried herself,” Thornton said. “I knew I always wanted to be a coach, [and] I said, ‘I want to be just like her.’ So I fed into an alter ego as opposed to building up confidence. I put on clothes and I could transform into somebody else by what I put on.”

Years later, as Thornton rose to becoming a head coach within the same conference, she drew inspiration from Taylor. However, Thornton’s idea of fashion has evolved over the years. She initially thought that fashion meant following trends while putting her own stamp on outfits. Now she’s more considerate of which outfits look good on her and which colors match her skin complexion and undertones.

“I’m really intentional about what I put on. So a lot of thought does go into creating looks for me,” Thornton said. “My stylist spends a lot of time putting things together for me.”

Alabama A&M (8-9 overall, 4-1 SWAC) is currently tied for first in the conference standings. After finishing last season with 21 wins, a program milestone, and the No. 2 record in the SWAC, this season Thornton and the Bulldogs want to win Alabama A&M’s first conference tournament title.

“In order to win a championship, that means a lot of times you got to be uncomfortable,” Thornton said. “So when you recruit young women that understand that that’s the goal, they’ll understand that they have to give you everything that they have in order for you to obtain it.”

In Episode 3 of From Closet to Court, Thornton discusses how she overcame low self-esteem and bullying as a child, what it is like working with local Black artists for her creative looks, and the Bulldogs’ quest to win the program’s first SWAC tournament title.

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