Bio

Tonishea Mack is in her 7th season in 2024-2025 as head women's basketball coach at Governors State. She was named the program's second head coach on August 13, 2018 and is the winningest coach in program history. GSU's women's basketballl program enjoyed a break-through, record-setting season in 2023-24.

Tmack was named the CCAC Conference Coach of the Year leading the 2023-24 Jaguars to a record-setting 23-7 record, 17-3 CCAC 2nd place finish and a NAIA Nationals appearance. She was also named the IBCA 2023-24 NAIA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.

Three GSU players earned all-CCAC honors last season with Tabetha Jones (first team All-CCAC) and Angelique Cowan and Zareia Chevre, (2nd team All-CCAC selections). Cowan ended her GSU career as the second all-time scoring leader with 1,133 career points and Jones is 4th all-time with 918 career points.

Coach Tmack has a 79-91 record entering the 2024-25 as her program shoots for milestone career win #100 in the upcoming season.

In 2022-23, GSU's Angelique Cowan was named 2nd team All-CCAC and scored a career-high 36 points in the Jaguars first-ever double OT game at Roosevelt University, February 18, 2023 losing 84-83. Coach Tmack's team played a big portion of the second half of last year battling injuries and had only six or seven healthy players for many games including the 81-80 upset win over Olivet Nazarene on Senior Night to highlight the home season at the ARC.

In the 2021-2022 season, Mack assembled a team that contended for a CCAC playoff spot down to the last game of the season. She also put three players on the court with prior NCAA experience, including a pair of Division I transfers. Under Mack's tutelage, Sharnita Breeze became the first player in team history to earn All-CCAC honors three seasons in a row.

In 2020-21 Mack directed the Jaguars to their highest conference finish ever (fourth place) while qualifying for the CCAC Tournament for the second-straight season. GSU also hosted its first-ever playoff game and strung together a five-game winning streak. Mack also led the Orange and Black to its first wins against Olivet Nazarene and St. Francis.

During the 2019-20 season Mack guided GSU to its first-ever postseason appearance with a berth into the CCAC Tournament. GSU also recorded wins against NCAA Division II Purdue Northwest and first-time victories against CCAC opponents Judson and Cardinal Stritch. Mack also developed an All-MAC Honorable Mention selection in Hydeia Thomas.

In 2018-19, Mack led the Jaguars to a school-record 17 victories (17-13) and the program's first winning season. GSU also won a record-nine games in the CCAC, knocking off 21st-ranked Saint Xavier in the process. Mack also oversaw the development of All-CCAC selections in Amber Brooks and Tyisha Worthy.

A Park Forest native, Mack is well-acquainted with the Jaguars basketball program, having served as an assistant coach during the program's inaugural varsity season in 2015-16 and the start of the 2016-17 season. She also spent a year on the bench with the club team in 2014-15. Mack left GSU in November 2017 to become assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Chicago State, where she served two seasons.

Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Mack worked as an assistant coach at Marian Catholic High School from 2012-14, helping the Spartans to an Illinois Class 4A State Championship in 2013.

Mack played three years of Division I basketball at Grambling State from 2009-12. She led the Lady Tigers in scoring (9.8 points per game) as a senior, ranking in the Top 10 in scoring and rebounding in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Mack was also a two-year captain and named to the SWAC All-Academic Team. Her collegiate career started at Sheridan (WY) College, where she was named a National Junior College Athletic Association Honorable Mention All-American and Player of the Year in the Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference. Mack played locally at Rich East High School, where she graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer.

Mack earned a B.A. in psychology from Grambling State (2012) and a M.S. in education from Northern Illinois (2017).     

A resident of Calumet City, Mack is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).