James Rice enters his 14th season as Benedict College head women's basketball coach during the 2025-26 season.
Rice became the fifth head coach in the program's history during the 2012-13 season, and he wasted no time in making his mark while guiding his Benedict College women’s basketball program to unprecedented heights.
Since taking the helm, Rice has posted a 228-136 (.626) overall record. Rice owns the school record for number of wins and currently has the highest winning percentage in the college’s history.
For more than a decade, Rice has led the Benedict College women’s basketball program with distinction, building a tradition of excellence that established the Lady Tigers as one of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s standard-bearers. Under his leadership, Benedict has captured five SIAC Tournament Championships, six SIAC East Division titles, seven 20-win seasons, and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2019–20 team that won 27 games, went 15–0 in SIAC regular-season play, finished with a WBCA Top 10 national ranking, and led NCAA Division II in total rebounds and rebounds per game.
Rice’s coaching achievements have earned national recognition. He has been named HBCU Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, twice honored as SIAC Coach of the Year, and selected SIAC Tournament Coach of the Year. His impact extends beyond Benedict as well as serving on an NCAA National Committee, chairing the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), and representing both Benedict and the SIAC on the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll Panel.
Benedict has also earned NCAA statistical championships under his direction leading Division II in steals per game (2012–13), field-goal percentage defense (2013–14, 2015–16), and rebounding margin (2014–15, 2015–16). These honors reflect the identity of Rice’s program: tough, physical, defensive-minded, relentless on the glass, and unselfish.
Entering the 2025–26 season, his focus is on developing complete student-athletes, recruiting elite talent, and reinforcing the team’s core values of toughness, accountability, and unity. His vision is clear: to elevate Benedict women’s basketball back to championship form and continue building a program that is a source of pride for the College and HBCU basketball.
Rice is the proud father of two children, D’Asia Gregg and James Rice II.
