MIAMI (April 8, 2016) – Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia announced the hiring of Tiara Malcom as the next women's head basketball coach on Friday. Malcom becomes the seventh head coach for the FIU women's basketball program.
 
"We are thrilled to announce Tiara Malcom as the next head coach for FIU women's basketball," Garcia said. "She comes from a very successful program in the University of Delaware both as a player and an assistant. She is an excellent recruiter who knows how to win."
 
"It's definitely been a journey," Malcom said. "I appreciate the administration being there and supportive through the entire process - from assistant coach to interim coach and now head coach. I'm looking forward to leading the program and moving it in the right direction."
 
Malcom spent this past season as an assistant coach for the Panthers and served as FIU's interim head coach for the team's final four games. Prior to coming to FIU, Malcom spent nine seasons at the University of Delaware and primarily worked with the post players as well as handling recruiting and scouting opponents.
 
"I am so proud of Tiara," Delaware Head Coach Tina Martin said. "FIU has made an outstanding hire. She will do an excellent job in recruiting as well as coaching her players through their four years at FIU.  I truly believe that they have made a great hire."
 
She helped pilot the Blue Hens to six 20-win seasons, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and three WNIT berths. During the 2012-13 season, Malcom helped guide one of the most illustrious squads in Delaware history as the Hens saw another record-breaking year. UD finished the season with an incredible 32-4 mark, went undefeated in CAA play for the second consecutive year and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The Hens finished atop the CBI Mid-Major Poll for the second straight season while receiving a No. 15 spot in the Associated Press Poll and a No. 16 spot in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.
 
Malcom was a four-year standout for the Hens under Martin, leading the squad to a four-year mark of 89-32, CAA regular season titles in 2003 and 2005 and three berths into the post-season WNIT.  Delaware, which went 55-15 in conference action during Malcom's career, appeared in the CAA Championship game in both 2003 and 2005. Malcom was inducted into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in November 2012 for her contributions.
 
Following her collegiate career, Malcom played professionally during the 2005-06 season in Barreiro, Portugal with the GD ESSA Basketball Club. Malcom earned her bachelor's degree in family and community services from Delaware in May 2005 while receiving a master's degree in higher education administration from UD in May 2011.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUWBasketball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUWBasketball) for all the latest FIU women's basketball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.