View source for Pokey Chatman

{{short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Pokey Chatman
| image = Pokey Chatman (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 
| alt = 
| caption = Chatman in 2019
| position = Assistant coach
| league = [[WNBA]]
| team = Seattle Storm
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1969|6|18}}
| birth_place = [[Ama, Louisiana]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| high_school = [[Hahnville High School|Hahnville]] ([[Boutte, Louisiana]])
| college = [[LSU Lady Tigers basketball|LSU]] (1987–1991)
| coach_start = 1992
| coach_end = 
| cyears1 = 1992–2004
| cteam1 = [[LSU Lady Tigers basketball|LSU]] (assistant)
| cyears2 = 2004–2007
| cteam2 = LSU
| cyears3 = 2008–2010
| cteam3 = [[WBC Sparta&K]]
| cyears4 = 2011–2016
| cteam4 = [[Chicago Sky]]
| cyears5 = 2016–2019
| cteam5 = [[Indiana Fever]]
| cteam6 = [[Seattle Storm]] (assistant)
| cyears6 = 2022-present
| highlights = 
* All-American  – [[Women's Basketball Coaches Association|Kodak]], [[United States Basketball Writers Association|USBWA]] (1991)
*[[SEC women's basketball tournament|SEC Tournament MVP]] ([[1991 SEC women's basketball tournament|1991]])
* 3x First-team All-[[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] (1989–1991)
* SEC All-Freshman Team (1988)
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's [[Basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Under-18 Women's Americas Championship|FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|1988 Brazil|[[United States women's national under-19 basketball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalSport|Assistant coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[World University Games]]}}    {{MedalGold|[[USA Women's World University Games Team|2005 Izmir]] | Team Competition}}
| medal_templates-expand = true
}}

'''Dana "Pokey" Chatman''' (born June 18, 1969) is currently an assistant coach for the [[Seattle Storm]] in the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA).  Chatman is the former head coach of the [[Indiana Fever]] and [[Chicago Sky]] of the [[WNBA]].<ref name="Sky_fire">{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/ct-sky-fire-coach-pokey-chatman-20161028-story.html | title=Sky fire head coach Pokey Chatman | date=October 28, 2016 | access-date=October 28, 2016 | author=Chicago Tribune staff | publisher=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> She is also the former head coach of the [[LSU Lady Tigers basketball]] team and the [[WBC Spartak Moscow Region|Spartak Moscow women's basketball team]].

Chatman spent the first 20 years of her adult life at LSU as a player (1987–1991), student assistant (1991–1992), assistant coach (1992–2004) and head coach (2004–2007). After succeeding longtime coach [[Sue Gunter]] in 2004, Chatman led the Lady Tigers to three consecutive [[NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA]] Final Fours in 2004 (as acting head coach for the ailing Gunter), 2005, and 2006.

Chatman resigned from her post at LSU on March 7, 2007, amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a former player that were alleged to have begun when Chatman was coaching the player.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2840260|title=Attorney: Chatman was given few hours to resign|date=17 April 2007}}</ref>

==Early life and high school career==
Dana Chatman was born on June 18, 1969<ref name="NCAA Coaches"/> in [[Ama, Louisiana]].

She  played point guard at [[Hahnville High School]] and was a five-time AAU All-American.  She is recognized for scoring the first 3-point shot in a high school game for the state of Louisiana.

==Career==
===LSU playing career===
The 1991 Kodak [[All-America]]n [[point guard]] played for [[Sue Gunter|Gunter]] from 1987 to 1991, starting all but one game and setting the all-time steals (346) and assists (570) records at [[Louisiana State University|LSU]]. Her assist record was broken in the 2003–2004 season by [[Temeka Johnson]]. Chatman played in the [[NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA tournament]] four times and posted a record of 82–38 as a player. She was a three-time [[Southeastern Conference|All-SEC]] selection and led the Lady Tigers to their first ever [[1991 SEC women's basketball tournament|SEC Tournament title in 1991]], where she was the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

===LSU statistics===
Source<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/wb/pdf/17guide.pdf|title=LSU Media Guide|access-date=2017-09-07}}</ref>
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!Points
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!PPG
|-
|1987-88
|LSU
|29
|290
|38.2%
|81.8%
|3.3
|10.0
|-
|1988-89
|LSU
|30
|485
|'''43.7%'''
|83.9%
|3.6
|16.2
|-
|1989-90
|LSU
|30
|475
|41.5%
|'''84.5%'''
|3.6
|15.8
|-
|1990-91
|LSU
|'''31'''
|'''576'''
|'''43.7%'''
|80.7%
|'''4.3'''
|'''18.6'''
|-
|TOTALS
|
|120
|1826
|42.1%
|82.7%
|3.7
|15.2
|}

===LSU coaching career===
After serving as a student assistant with the Lady Tigers for a season (1991–1992), Chatman was named a full-fledged assistant coach before the 1992–1993 season. She was promoted to associate head coach in 1999. In 2003–2004, head coach Sue Gunter took a medical leave of absence in the middle of the season. Chatman, in her 14th season on the coaching staff, was named interim coach. She led the Tigers to a 15–5 record (27–8 overall) and the first Final Four in school history. However, LSU credits the entire season to Gunter.

By the end of the season, it was obvious that Gunter would not be able to return. She announced her retirement on April 27, and Chatman was named the fourth head coach in school history.

====Head coach====
In Chatman's first season as head coach, she led the Lady Tigers to a 33–3 record, an undefeated SEC regular season title (14–0), and the program's second consecutive Final Four, falling to eventual national champion [[Baylor University|Baylor]] in the semifinals. In the 2005–2006 season, the Lady Tigers finished with a 31–4 record, captured their second consecutive SEC regular season title (13–1), and reached their third straight Final Four, this time losing to [[Duke University|Duke]]. Chatman's 47–3 record is the second best record through 50 games in women's basketball history. Only Hall of Fame coach [[Leon Barmore]], the former [[Louisiana Tech]] head coach, had a better record (48–2).

Chatman won numerous awards, including the [[Black Coaches Association]]'s Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005; the 2005 USBWA National Coach of the Year,<ref name="USBWA">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/awards/women/index.html|title=USBWA WOMEN'S HONORS|publisher=USBWA|access-date=8 May 2010}}</ref> the 2005 Russell/[[Women's Basketball Coaches Association|WBCA]] National Coach of the Year;<ref name="WBCA COY"/> the 2005 Naismith National Coach of the Year; the 2005 [[Victor Award (sport)|Victor Award]] Female Coach of the Year; the 2005 SEC Coach of the Year; and the 2005 Louisiana Coach of the Year.

In 2005, Chatman served as the assistant coach for the [[Universiade|USA Women's World University Games Team]], which won the gold medal. Chatman also won a medal as a player on the 1990 [[USA Basketball|USA Select Team]].

Chatman was inducted into the [[LSU Hall of Fame]] in 1998.

====Resignation as LSU head coach====
Chatman resigned as the head women's basketball coach at LSU on March 7, 2007, after school officials became aware of an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship between Chatman and a former player. Former LSU assistant coach Carla Berry, a college teammate of Chatman's, reported the alleged relationship to the university in February.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2791950|title=Chatman Quits Amid Sexual Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims|date=7 March 2017|publisher=ESPN}}</ref> Assistant coach [[Bob Starkey]] was named interim coach and led the team during the [[2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament]], in which the Tigers made their fourth consecutive Final Four.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/finalfour/2007-03-28-starkey_N.htm|title=LSU's Starkey adamant about not wanting head job - USATODAY.com|website=usatoday30.usatoday.com|access-date=2017-09-07}}</ref>

Chatman claimed that after LSU learned about the alleged relationship, it conducted a cursory investigation before giving her an ultimatum—resign within two hours or be fired. She initially demanded to be paid the remaining $900,000 on her contract.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2840260 Chatman's attorney: LSU forced resignation]</ref> Ultimately, LSU and Chatman settled out of court for $160,000.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2906192 LSU, ex-hoops coach Chatman agree to $160K settlement]. [[ESPN]], 2007-06-15</ref>

===Spartak===
[[File:Pokey Chatman 456.JPG|thumbnail|right|Pokey Chatman in [[Russia]]]]
In August 2007 she signed as assistant coach of the [[WBC Spartak Moscow Region|Women's Basketball Club Spartak Moscow Region]] (who had just won the 2007 Euroleague Women's Final). Spartak won the next three championships and in 2010, as the head coach, Chatman led the team to a 16–0 [[Euroleague]] record and their fourth straight Euroleague Championship.

===Chicago Sky===
On October 29, 2010, Chatman was named the [[general manager]] and head coach of the Chicago Sky of the WNBA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/news/story?id=5740995|title=Former LSU coach Chatman to run WNBA's Sky|date=2010-10-29|website=ESPN.com|access-date=2017-09-07}}</ref> She was let go by the Sky in October 2016.<ref name="Sky_fire" />

===Indiana Fever===
On November 18, 2016, Chatman was announced as the new head coach of the [[Indiana Fever]]. She assumed the role after [[Stephanie White]] left to accept the head coaching job at [[Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball|Vanderbilt]]. On September 10, 2019, Chatman was fired as [[general manager]] and head coach of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fox59.com/2019/09/09/indiana-fever-fire-coach-general-manager-pokey-chatman/|date=2019-09-10|website=FOX.com|access-date=2019-09-10|title=Indiana Fever fire coach, general manager Pokey Chatman}}</ref>

===Seattle Storm===
On January 21, 2022, Chatman was announced as an assistant coach of the [[Seattle Storm]] of the WNBA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/news/story?id=33119094|title=Seattle Storm Add to Coaching Staff, Hire Pokey Chatman, Ebony Hoffman as Assistants|date=2022-01-21|website=ESPN.com|access-date=2022-06-25}}</ref>

==USA Basketball==

===As player===
Chatman was a member of the [[USA Women's U18 and U19 teams|USA Women's U18]] team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in [[Sao Paulo, Brazil]]. The event was known as the  Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament at the time. The event was held in August 1988, when the USA team defeated the host team Brazil by a score of 70–68 to win the championship.<ref name="1988 U18"/>

===As coach===
Chatman served as an assistant coach of the [[USA Women's World University Games Team]] at the World University Games (also known as the [[Universiade]]) held in [[Izmir, Turkey]] in August 2005. The team won their first game against the Czech Republic 88–64; the 24-point margin in that contest would be the closest any team would come to beating the USA until the gold-medal final. After defeating South Africa, China, and Poland to move on to the quarterfinals, they then beat Taiwan and Russia – each by more than 50 points. This set up the championship game with [[Serbia & Montenegro]] which the USA won 79–63 to complete a 7–0 record and win the gold medal.<ref name="WUG 2005"/>

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=[[LSU Lady Tigers basketball|LSU]]
|startyear=2003
|conference=[[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]
|endyear=2007
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = 2003–04
 | name         = LSU (interim)
 | overall      = 15–5
 | conference   = 8–4
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = [[2004 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = 2004–05
 | name         = LSU
 | overall      = 33–3
 | conference   = 14–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2005 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = 2005–06
 | name         = [[2005–06 LSU Lady Tigers basketball team|LSU]]
 | overall      = 31–4
 | conference   = 13–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA Final Four]]
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = 2006–07
 | name         = [[2006–07 LSU Lady Tigers basketball team|LSU]]
 | overall      = 26–7
 | conference   = 10–4
 | confstanding = T-3rd
 | postseason   = ''Resigned before [[2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA tournament]]''
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = LSU
 | overall    = {{Winning percentage|105|19|record=y}}
 | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|45|9|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
|overall= {{Winning percentage|105|19|record=y}}
|poll=no
|polltype=
}}

{{NBA coach statistics legend}}
{{NBA coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" |[[2011 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2011 WNBA season|2011]]
|34||14||20||{{winning percentage|14|20}}|| align="center" |5th in East||-||-||-||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2012 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2012 WNBA season|2012]]
| 34|| 14|| 20||{{winning percentage|14|20}}|| align="center" |5th in East||-||-||-||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2013 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2013 WNBA season|2013]]
| 34 || 24|| 10||{{winning percentage|24|10}}|| align="center" |1st in East||2 ||0 ||2 ||{{winning percentage|0|2}}
| align="center" |Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
|-
| align="left" |[[2014 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2014 WNBA season|2014]]
| 34 || 15|| 19||{{winning percentage|15|19}}|| align="center" |4th in East||9 ||4 ||5 ||{{winning percentage|4|5}}
| align="center" |Lost [[2014 WNBA Finals|WNBA Finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2015 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2015 WNBA season|2015]]
| 34 || 21|| 13||{{winning percentage|21|13}}|| align="center" |2nd in East||3 ||1 ||2 ||{{winning percentage|1|2}}
| align="center" |Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
|-
| align="left" |[[2016 Chicago Sky season|CHI]]
| align="left" |[[2016 WNBA season|2016]]
| 34 || 18|| 16||{{winning percentage|18|16}}|| align="center" |2nd in East||5 ||2 ||3 ||{{winning percentage|1|2}}
| align="center" |Lost [[2016 WNBA Playoffs|WNBA Semi-Finals]]
|-
| align="left" |[[2017 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2017 WNBA season|2017]]
| 34 || 9|| 25||{{winning percentage|9|25}}|| align="center" |6th in East||- ||- ||- ||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2018 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2018 WNBA season|2018]]
| 34 || 6|| 28||{{winning percentage|6|28}}|| align="center" |6th in East||- ||- ||- ||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2019 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2019 WNBA season|2019]]
| 34 || 13|| 21||{{winning percentage|13|21}}|| align="center" |6th in East||- ||- ||- ||-
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |'''Career'''
| ||306||134||172||{{winning percentage|134|172}}|| ||19||7||12||{{winning percentage|7|12}}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="NCAA Coaches">{{cite web|title=Women's Basketball Coaches Career|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careercoach|website=NCAA|access-date=25 Sep 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="1988 U18">{{cite web|title=FIRST WOMEN'S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TEAM – 1988|url=http://www.usab.com/womens/u18/wu18_1988.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018005923/http://www.usab.com/womens/u18/wu18_1988.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2013|publisher=USA Basketball|access-date=15 Oct 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="WUG 2005">{{cite web|title=TWENTY-SECOND WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES – 2005|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/wwug_2005.html|publisher=USA Basketball|access-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429105537/http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/worlduniversity/wwug_2005.html|archive-date=29 April 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="WBCA COY">{{cite web|title=Past Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coaches of the Year|url=http://www.wbca.org/pages/AWARDS_coach-of-year_past|publisher=Women's Basketball Coaches Association|access-date=30 Jun 2014}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110517155515/http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=28701&SPID=2167&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174129&Q_SEASON=2006 Profile at LSU Athletic Site]

{{Seattle Storm current roster}}
{{Navboxes| list1 =
{{LSU Lady Tigers basketball coach navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Indiana Fever}}
{{Naismith Coach of the Year}}
{{USBWA National Coach of the Year}}
{{WBC Spartak Moscow Region 2009–10 Euroleague Women champions}}
{{WBCA Division I Coach of the Year}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatman, Pokey}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American basketball coaches]]
[[Category:All-American college women's basketball players]]
[[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Russia]]
[[Category:American women's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Chicago Sky coaches]]
[[Category:LSU Tigers women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:LSU Tigers women's basketball players]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:People from Ama, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from St. Charles Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Seattle Storm coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association general managers]]